Plans have been unveiled for up to 78 new homes and a commercial unit just behind the historic Royal Oak pub in Walton, near Street, Somerset. The Royal Oak, with roots tracing back to at least 1700, will remain a central landmark as the new development takes shape.
Sherborne-based Land Value Alliances has submitted outline proposals for the site located on the southern side of the busy A39 Main Street, a key freight route connecting Bridgwater to the Somerset Levels and Moors. The development will be accessed via a new signal-controlled junction off Main Street, with the commercial unit positioned at the entrance.
Out of the 78 homes planned, 23 will be designated as affordable housing, meeting Somerset Council’s target of 30% affordable units for developments over ten homes within the former Mendip area. The project sits close to a previously approved development of 37 homes between South Street and Veal Lane, approved on appeal in July 2024.
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Clifton Emery Design, representing the developer, emphasized that the development will blend seamlessly with the local environment, offering generous open spaces and fostering a strong sense of community. The design promotes safe, accessible routes for pedestrians and cyclists and encourages social interaction with an integrated layout of buildings, streets, and public spaces.
Residents will benefit from proximity to Walton’s local primary school, village hall, allotments, and Holy Trinity Church. In addition, the site is a short drive from Street Business Park—with major stores like Sainsbury’s and Lidl—and the popular Clarks Village shopping centre. Public transport access is convenient, with four local bus routes nearby connecting to Bridgwater, Bristol, Taunton, Ashcott, Wells, and Martock.
The boundary between Street and Walton is expected to become more interconnected over the coming years, with other significant housing developments, including a proposed 160-home project at Higher Brooks. Somerset Council’s Mendip Local Plan Part II also highlights this area as a major growth zone south of the A39 Quarry Batch.
A final decision on the outline planning application is anticipated by early summer, with the matter likely to be deliberated publicly by the council’s planning committee given the scale of the proposal.