Somerset Council has announced that a decision on the long-awaited plans for 1,450 new homes in Taunton is expected by or shortly after Christmas.
The joint proposal from Persimmon Homes South West and Redrow Homes was submitted in December 2021 for phase two of the Monkton Heathfield urban extension. This development, located on Taunton’s north-eastern outskirts, aims to provide new homes alongside employment sites, a new school, and a relief road to improve local infrastructure.
Since September 2022, the decision has faced multiple delays as extensive negotiations between the developers and council planning officers have led to significant changes in the masterplan.
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The last public update was in November 2025, nine months ago, but planning officers now report that they are “nearly there” and expect the council’s planning committee west to make a full decision before the end of the year.
Phase one of the Monkton Heathfield urban extension is mostly complete, including the western relief road connecting the new homes to the A3259. However, employment land at the southern edge between the A38 and the M5 remains mostly unused. Notably, in January 2019, Taunton Deane Borough Council agreed to release part of this land for additional housing.
The current plans envisage 1,450 new homes, almost five hectares (around 12 acres) of employment land, a through school combining primary and secondary education on one site, a district centre with local shops, a mobility hub, and a new eastern relief road linking to the A38.
Simon Fox, the council’s major projects planning officer, provided an update at the Planning Committee West meeting held on August 25 in Taunton. He said: “The application is nearly there. The remaining issues regarding highways, viability, and some layout adjustments are being addressed with increased urgency.”
Mr Fox also noted ongoing discussions with West Monkton and Creech St. Michael parish councils about recycling their Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) receipts to ensure the development benefits from as much of its own income as possible, which will support facilities for the Monkton Heathfield site as allocated in the Local Plan.
CIL, a charge applied to housing developments in the former Taunton Deane area and other parts of Somerset, allocates 15 per cent of receipts to the local parish council, rising to 25 per cent if the council has a Neighbourhood Plan. Most CIL income in Somerset is directed towards major projects in Bridgwater, Taunton, and Yeovil, prompting concerns that more rural areas might miss out on vital infrastructure while still shouldering housing developments.
Currently, around £3.5 million in CIL receipts are held by Creech St. Michael and West Monkton parish councils. They have agreed, in principle, to invest this money in sports, play, and community facilities within the Monkton Heathfield development. This arrangement allows the parish councils to maintain local control over these amenities while enabling the developers to concentrate funding on other aspects, such as the new school.
Mr Fox expressed confidence that the process is nearing completion: “There is some expectation now that we’re on the home straight. I fully expect to present this application within six months, ready to address public inquiries and comments on the proposals’ merits.”
He added that preparations for a potential Section 106 agreement are underway, ensuring that work currently unseen externally is progressing internally to enable the application to proceed as swiftly as possible.
Councillor Simon Coles, chair of the planning committee west and representative for Taunton East, acknowledged the complexities involved, emphasising the need for a thorough process to facilitate construction promptly once approval is granted. He commented: “We are where we are. It’s a complicated issue, this one, and because it’s part of the Local Plan, we need to get this right for everyone – especially for the people of Monkton Heathfield.”