PLANS for eight new homes and the creation of more than a hectare of public open space near Frome have been submitted – despite the same plan being refused earlier this year.

Lochailort has handed in a planning application to Somerset Council to develop a 1.54-hectare site at Fortescue Fields, at Norton St Philip.

The northern boundary of the site abuts Church Mead, home of the village cricket club, while the southern side neighbours the Ponds Country Park area.

It comes after a plan for up to 49 homes on the site was refused in June 2014, and later dismissed on appeal, and a 2019 application for 38 dwellings and multi-use community building was withdrawn. Then, in 2022, a bid to build 20 homes was also refused.

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Now, after the same application was refused and dismissed on appeal in January, the developer has returned with amendments to the maintenance of the Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) – the reason for the plan’s dismissal.

“This factor was the only reason for dismissal,” the application said.

It added: “The scheme has not been altered in terms of design following the appeal.

“The appeal was dismissed on ecological grounds and not those relating to landscape, design or heritage matters, or the location of the development.

“The council raised no objection in respect of highways and flooding/drainage grounds.”

If finally approved, the plan would see one two-bed house, two three-bed houses, and five four-bed houses built on the site.

Two affordable dwellings are proposed in the development, the plan said.

For more details, and to comment on the plans, log on to somerset.gov.uk and search application reference 2025/1515/FUL.

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