Revised plans for a major housing development in Bridgwater reveal a sharp reduction in affordable homes, sparking concerns among local councils and residents. Persimmon Homes Severn Valley originally won outline planning permission in March 2021 to build up to 354 homes south of the A39 Quantock Road. The site lies opposite the ongoing Centenary Heights development, where 675 homes are being constructed by Cavanna Homes South West and Martin Grant Homes.
While Centenary Heights progresses with new junctions and upcoming proposals for 275 additional homes, Persimmon has scaled back its original proposal. The updated plans now propose 323 homes across two phases — 111 in phase one, featuring a new signalised junction onto Quantock Road, and 212 in phase two.
A significant change is the drastic cut in affordable housing from 30% (around 106 homes) to just 10%, reducing the number of affordable units to 32. This adjustment is attributed to a financial viability assessment concluding that the original policy-compliant affordable housing quota would render the project unviable. Additionally, the developer has agreed to reduce its education funding contribution by £2 million, from over £4.2 million to just above £2.2 million, affecting planned new school places tied to the nearby Centenary Heights primary school.
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To partially offset these reductions, the council has introduced a claw back mechanism in the draft legal agreement. This allows any unused funds initially designated for road construction within the site to be reallocated for affordable housing elsewhere in Bridgwater. Notably, £414,000 earmarked for the Dunball roundabout upgrade can be repurposed in this way.
Community opposition has been vocal. Bridgwater Town Council objects to the lack of a comprehensive transport plan supporting local bus services 14 and 15 and raises concerns over the proposed two separate play areas, which may increase maintenance costs and safety issues. Durleigh Parish Council highlights the absence of commitments to improve a key public footpath linking the development with Holford Road, emphasizing pedestrian safety and accessibility to local schools and amenities.
The planning committee north of Somerset Council is scheduled to review and make a final decision on the revised plans at a meeting in Bridgwater on November 11 at 2 pm. For those unable to attend in person, the meeting will be live-streamed via Microsoft Teams.