Plans for 28 new homes on Head Street in the village of Tintinhull, near Yeovil, have been approved by local councillors for the fourth time following a Supreme Court ruling, ending a nine-year struggle.
Abbey Manor Homes Ltd. first secured outline planning permission in October 2017 after appealing to the Planning Inspectorate. Later, Orwell Ltd. purchased the site and submitted amended proposals in July 2020, receiving approval from Somerset Council’s planning committee in October 2023.
In October 2024, the committee granted permission again, agreeing to remove all affordable housing from the development citing viability concerns. However, the process faced significant delays due to the ongoing phosphate crisis affecting developments within the Somerset Levels and Moors catchment area.
Natural England’s August 2020 legal advice imposed phosphate mitigation requirements on over 50 proposals, including this one, putting around 12,000 homes in limbo. But in October 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that sites with outline permissions secured before the 2020 advice did not need additional phosphate mitigation at later stages.
This landmark ruling allowed the council to approve the Tintinhull plans without requiring phosphate mitigation or affordable homes, marking a major shift for stalled developments. The decision also enabled approval of 35 homes in Martock that had been pending since June 2020.
Despite some local opposition, including concerns about increased traffic and the removal of affordable housing, the planning committee unanimously approved the amended plans during their December 16, 2025 meeting. A further viability study will be conducted once 90% of the homes are occupied. If conditions improve, the developer may contribute financially to affordable housing in the local area.
Local representatives expressed mixed views on the outcome. Steve Creaney, chairman of Tintinhull Parish Council, noted the community’s objections and changing local conditions, urging further traffic reviews. Councillor John Bailey called for another viability assessment to explore the possibility of affordable homes. Conversely, the applicant’s architect highlighted rising building costs and market challenges as reasons for the lack of affordable housing on the site.
While the Supreme Court ruling resolves the phosphate mitigation impasse, it also reflects broader tensions between environmental protections, housing affordability, and local development needs in Somerset.