New plan for homes near Rodden Nature Reserve

A DEVELOPER is launching a second bid to build a housing estate on land near Warminster Road, and last month submitted a planning application for the first 207 homes in its plan.

Persimmon Homes applied for permission to build the new homes as part of its plan to build a total of 450 on the land. The company had its first design refused by Mendip District Council last year, but secured outline permission for the site in 2013.

Mendip’s planning department said that the area – which covers a number of fields to the east of Southfield Farm behind Asda and the Rodden Nature Reserve – “is in a sustainable location and would help boost the supply of housing to meet a shortfall in the district.”

The new proposal includes a mixture of one to five bedroom homes, 62  of which would be affordable housing (30%).

The developers have also included plans for a new footbridge across the River Frome towards the former Butler, Tanner and Dennis site, and said it will  provide the missing link of a cycle path from Frome to Longleat (on Sustrans Route 24).

This first half of the estate  would cover roughly 21 of the 51 acres available on the site, and be built at the north end near Asda.

Persimmon has said that the development will “sensitively respond to the site and its setting by incorporating existing physical features such as topography and ecology.”

The second phase of building would begin when the first has been completed, and is expected to include the remaining 233 homes and a new primary school.

Mendip refused the company’s first application because it said “[it] would have a poor layout and design, including poor appearance,” and that “it has not been demonstrated  to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority, that adequate provision has been made to provide adequate living standards in respect of externally generated traffic noise.”

Public consultation is open until Thursday 17th March – to see the plans and have your say, visit the planning search at www.mendip.gov.uk and use reference number 2016/0332/REM. Mendip District Council is expected to decide on the application by Wednesday 11th May.