The plans outline details of up to 170 new homes in Woolavington, near Bridgwater. Pictures: Pad Design/Somerset Council

Plans for 170 new homes submitted for village near Gravity development

Paul JonesSeptember 18, 20250 Comment0

PLANS for 170 new homes in a Somerset village have been submitted.

The scheme, for land east of Woolavington Hill, in Woolavington, have been submitted to Somerset Council be Grassroots Planning on behalf of South West Strategic Developments Ltd.

As well as homes – including 51 affordable properties – the development would include public open space, including ecological areas, and other works.

Currently two fields of agricultural land, bisected by Combe Lane, the site measures around 8.5 hectares and is near the new Gravity site, which is set to bring thousands of jobs to the area.

“Our aim is to create somewhere that existing and future residents can enjoy for years to come, providing an integrated and complementary extension to Woolavington of up to 170 high-quality dwellings with a mix of types and tenures to meet local needs,” the plans said.

“Development will enhance the local community, while also helping to accommodate demand from the nearby Gravity Business Park, which is set to create up to 7,500 jobs within a mile from the site.”

An example of how the site could be laid out. Picture: Pad Design/Somerset Council

The fields are bordered by residential developments, at Woolavington Hill and School Lane, and would be accessed from Woolavington Hill on the west side of the site.

Previously, a ‘screening application’ for the proposal was submitted, but now a full outline planning application has been handed in, giving more information.

The application went on: “A tree-lined primary street with green verge and foot-cycle route is proposed through the development, branching off into secondary roads, which will provide access to all of the residential units, as well as a foot-cycle route from Combe Lane and the retention of the public right of way along a green street in the northern area of the site.”

Combe Lane would close to eastbound traffic at a new junction, the plans said, retaining access to a neighbouring employment site.

Areas of “multifunctional, publicly accessible open space”, including play areas for children, are proposed “throughout the site”, the application said, with three spaces designed “for existing residents and occupants of the proposed development to enjoy”.

The site was submitted as part of Somerset Council’s ‘call for sites’ earlier this year – which encouraged land owners and developers to put forward potential development plots.

For more details on the scheme, and to comment, log on to somerset.gov.uk and search application reference 54/25/00014.