Developer plans wetlands on B3151 Somerton Road near Street

The Ninesquare Trust secured outline planning permission from Mendip District Council in January 2023 to build up to 280 homes on the B3151 Somerton Road on the south-eastern edge of Street.

The Baltonsborough-based trust sold the site to Curo Enterprise Ltd. in November 2023, with revised proposals for the same number of homes being submitted to Somerset Council shortly before Christmas.

The Bath-based developer has promised that developing this greenfield site near Millfield School will result in an increase in biodiversity, with the new wetlands in the middle of the site playing a pivotal role.

The site is one of four in Street allocated for housing within the Mendip Local Plan Part II, which identified additional sites to meet the former district’s housing needs up to 2029.

The new homes will range from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom houses, with 30 per cent of the new properties being affordable – the equivalent of 84 dwellings.

A decision on the original plans – which were submitted back in December 2019 – was delayed by the phosphates crisis, with the council and developer negotiating additional mitigation to prevent additional damage to the Somerset Levels and Moors.

Revised plans for the development. (Image: RHaR)

Outline consent was granted on the basis that a pig farm near Wraxall, upstream of the development site, would be taken out of commission and replaced by new woodland.

The revised proposals include the creation of new wetlands in the middle of the site, with the existing public right of way between Somerton Road and Burleigh Lane being retained as an attractive board-walk for pedestrians and cyclists, similar to sections of the Exe Estuary Trail in east Devon.

A spokesman for Curo said: “We are following a phosphate mitigation strategy, designed as part of the outline planning permission and as advised by experts, to ensure this scheme won’t harm the Somerset Levels and Moors. This is a key condition of our planning agreement.

“The board-walk and wetlands are key feature of the design and integral to the scheme. They will enhance local biodiversity and also play an important role in phosphate reduction.”

Under new planning rules which became effective on New Year’s Day, any new housing development must achieve a biodiversity net gain (BNG) of at least ten per cent – meaning house-builders must leave the natural environment in a considerably better state when they have completed their work.

The Curo plans were submitted to Somerset Council shortly before the deadline, and therefore technically are not bound by this new high target.

However, head of land Charlotte Cooper has promised that this commitment will still be met in an attempt to deliver an exemplary development on the site.

She said: “We plan to enhance the biodiversity on site by ten per cent by developing additional habitats with tree and hedge planting and the creation of wetlands and improved grassland.

“We look forward to delivering a high-quality, sustainable, legacy scheme with thoughtful design and place-making at its heart.”

In addition to the biodiversity measures, the site will include community orchards and allotments, with each of the homes being fitted as standard with solar panels and air source heat pumps.

Curo technical director Stuart Smith said: “Our new homes in Street will maximise both efficiency and sustainability using the latest technology.

“As well as creating new community orchards and allotments, we’re targeting a circa 75 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from the homes compared to baseline levels utilising a ‘fabric first’ approach.

\3Complementing this, the homes will feature high-efficiency air source heat pumps for heating and hot water, as well as solar panels to harness renewable energy and keep energy costs down. Additionally, each home will be equipped with electric vehicle charging points.

“Our designs have been thoughtfully planned to meet the very latest standards for housing. We take immense pride providing these enhanced sustainability features, that will not only contribute to a healthier environment but also deliver tangible benefits for our residents by reducing their energy bills.”

A decision on the revised proposals is expected to be taken by the council’s planning committee east (which covers major decisions in the former Mendip area) by the summer.

If permission is secured, Curo intends to begin construction of the new homes in 2025.