A major milestone has been reached for housing development in Martock, Somerset, as plans for 35 new homes have finally received approval following a pivotal Supreme Court decision. This ruling clears the way for construction to commence by the summer of 2026, ending years of uncertainty caused by environmental regulation challenges.
The journey began in February 2018 when developer Richard Frankpitt secured outline planning permission to build 35 homes north of Lyndhurst Grove, after a successful appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. Larkfleet Homes SW Ltd. then submitted detailed reserved matters plans in June 2020 to develop the site, nestled between existing residences on Lyndhurst Grove and the disused former railway line.
However, progress stalled alongside more than 50 other projects across the former South Somerset area due to the phosphate mitigation crisis. Developers were required to demonstrate measures preventing further harm to the delicate Somerset Levels and Moors ecosystem before receiving approval, creating a significant bottleneck in housing supply.
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The breakthrough came in October when the Supreme Court ruled that sites granted outline permission before August 2020 do not need to provide additional phosphate mitigation at the reserved matters stage. This legal clarification enabled Somerset Council to approve outstanding applications like Lyndhurst Grove without extra environmental conditions.
The approved layout will connect the new development by extending Lyndhurst Grove northwards, complemented by landscaping along the former railway corridor to screen the homes from nearby Martock Business Park. While the council’s usual policy stipulates 35% affordable housing for developments of this size, aligned with the original appeal, just four affordable units will be included rather than the standard 12.
The phosphate crisis originated from Natural England’s 2020 guidance, which impacted roughly 12,000 homes awaiting approval within the Somerset Levels catchment area. Developers previously had to negotiate bespoke measures such as fallowing farmland or creating wetlands to offset phosphate pollution. Now, thanks to the Supreme Court’s intervention, many developments can move forward.
Planning officer Anna Jotcham noted that the site’s reserved matters submission “provides an acceptable layout, scale, appearance and landscaping” in line with the earlier outline permission. Martock, a village experiencing rapid growth, has also seen other recent housing approvals, including 120 homes at Coat Grove by Barratt Homes, and new estates on Coat Road and Foldhill Lane.
With construction anticipated to begin by mid-2026, the first residents could be settling into their new homes by Christmas of that year, marking a major development boost for Martock and the wider Somerset region.