Dozens of new homes could soon be built on the edge of a Somerset village if new plans are approved

Your Land Partner Ltd. has put forward outline plans to construct 40 new homes to the north of Silver Street in South Petherton, near the village’s community hospital and doctors’ surgery.

The land promoter – which is based in Shrewsbury in Shropshire – believes the development (dubbed ‘Hamdon View’) will meet local need and compliment the existing architecture of the village.

South Somerset District Council is expected to make a decision on the plans by Christmas – though this could be pushed back as a result of the ongoing phosphates crisis.

The site lies at the north-eastern edge of the village, on the edge of the Somerset Levels and two miles from the neighbouring village of Martock.

Access will be from Silver Street, near the current junction with Hospital Lane, with the existing garage between numbers 50 and 51a being demolished to provide a new path between the main road and the new homes.

Of the 40 homes proposed for the site, 14 will be affordable – meeting the council’s target of 35 per cent affordable homes for any new development of ten houses or more.

A spokesman for Scroxton & Partners (representing the promoter) said: “The proposal looks to sensitively develop greenfield land into a new residential area that will provide a mixture of new accessible accommodation within the village of South Petherton.

“The proposal seeks to provide 35 new houses and five new bungalows with a range of accommodation to suit the local area’s needs, as highlighted in the South Petherton Neighbourhood Plan.

“The relationship between the site and its immediate surroundings has been essential to the development of the scheme, particularly the access from Silver Street.

“At this access, a generous amount of green space and landscaping has been shown to create an entrance which is welcoming, while retaining the character of this part of Silver Street.”

The site was identified by the council as a possible location for housing within its 2021 housing and economic land availability assessment (HELAA) – though it was not prioritised as a site which was immediately deliverable.

While the site itself is not identified as being at significant risk of flooding, South Petherton lies within the catchment area for the Somerset Levels and Moors – meaning any development in the village must provide additional mitigation to prevent any net increase in phosphates levels within the protected Ramsar site.

South Petherton has seen interest from numerous housing developers in the last few years, with the village’s proximity to the Levels and connection to the A303 between Yeovil and Ilminster helping to drive up property prices.

Acorn Developments SW Ltd. is currently seeking consent to build a further 18 homes on Lampreys Lane at the western end of the settlement.

The council is expected to make a decision on both proposals within the next few months.