Hundreds of new homes could be built in a small Somerset town on the A303 if outline proposals are given the green light.

Land Value Alliances and Origin3 conducted an online consultation in October 2023 over proposals for the ‘West Wincanton’ development, which would deliver 650 new homes between the town’s western edge and the A371 Lawrence Hill, leading to Castle Cary.

Hook Valley LVA LLP, which is based in Sherborne, has now formally submitted outline plans for this major development, which will also include a primary school, a care home and commercial space.

Somerset Council is expected to make a final decision on these plans before the end of the year.

The proposed West Wincanton development encompasses farmland at the parish of Wincanton’s western edge, with the land being bordered by the A303, the A371, West Hill and the planned development of 80 homes and commercial space west of Crockers Way.

Part of the site was refused for development before, with Gladman Developments’ proposals for 210 homes on West Hill being turned down by councillors in June 2020.

Here’s seven things that the new development will deliver if councillors give the plans their approval:

  • 650 homes – including 224 affordable homes: under the South Somerset Local Plan (which remains in effect until the new Local Plan is completed in 2028), any new development of ten homes or more in the former South Somerset area must provide at least 35 per cent affordable housing (viability permitting). These proposals just meet this target, with 224 homes being affordable and a further ten plots being set aside for custom builds. The developer has confirmed that it will work with local housing associations to ensure these properties are delivered quickly and geared towards local demand
  • Five new road junctions: rather than being arranged along a single spine road (along the lines of the new East Bridgwater housing developments near the M5), the new homes within the West Wincanton site are arranged into four ‘quarters’ punctuated by green corridors – Hook Valley to the west, Furze Hill  to the north, West Hill to the north-east and Brook to the south-east. To enable access to these different quarters, a series of new junctions onto the main roads will be created, with two access points planned along West Hill and three along the A371 Lawrence Hill for the new homes and commercial space
  • New commercial space near the A303: at the southern edge of the site, either side of the A371, around 3.1 hectares (7.7 acres) of land will be set aside for new commercial premises. These new premises could include offices, light industrial units and warehouses, similar to the existing units on the Wincanton Business Park on Dyke’s Way. The commercial units will be separated from the existing Wincanton Gateway site (which includes the town’s McDonald’s and the Wagtail pub) through a green buffer
  • A new primary school: Wincanton’s existing primary schools – Wincanton Primary School and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School – both have limited means to expand due to their constrained location. To prevent additional pressure, land will be set aside by the developer for a new 210-place primary school in the north-east of the site, with a multi-use games area (MUGA) and a full-sized football pitch. The school’s location has been designed so that it is within walking distance from any of the new housing quarters
  • A care home and ‘local centre’: within the commercial area at the site’s southern edge, space will be provided for a new bespoke care home, which will be delivered and operated by a third party organisation. There is also scope for a range of local shops and services, though a new medical centre (to replace or complement the existing Wincanton Health Centre on Dyke’s Way) has already been ruled out by NHS Somerset
  • Improved walking and cycling routes: the site is currently criss-crossed by numerous public rights of way, which are in varying conditions and levels of accessibility. The existing public rights of way through the site will be enhanced through improved surfacing and drainage, and new active travel routes will be created to connect the site to West Hill, Lawrence Hill and the existing routes into the town centre via Cale Park
  • Large amounts of green space: to promote biodiversity within the site and prevent the appearance of urban sprawl, the site has been designed with large green corridors, especially around existing watercourses. Two new parks will be created – Lawrence Hill Park (between Lawrence Hill and the Brook quarter) and Valley Park (between the Hook Valley and Furze Hill quarters). The existing Furze Wood local wildlife site will also be preserved and enhanced

A spokesman for Origin3 (representing the developer) said: “Wincanton is growing. Like everywhere else, people here need more houses,
jobs and services.

“Wincanton is well-placed to grow – it is one of south Somerset’s main towns with a good range of employment, shops and facilities.

“The town should grow in the best way possible and land to the west of
Wincanton is a sustainable location to accommodate future growth of the town.”

Due to the scale and significance of the planned development, any decision on the proposals is likely to be taken in public by the council’s planning committee south, rather than through the delegated powers of its planning officers.

Because Wincanton does not lie within the Somerset Levels and Moors catchment area, the developer will not need to provide additional phosphate mitigation – meaning construction could begin relatively quickly once permission is granted.