A decision on the proposed construction of 400 new homes across three sites near Taunton has been postponed to allow for a thorough review of the town’s ‘green wedges’—key environmental buffers designed to prevent urban sprawl and protect local landscapes.
The Taunton Deane Core Strategy, approved by the Planning Inspectorate in July 2012 and legally binding until 2028, identifies several sites in Taunton, Wellington, Wiveliscombe, and nearby villages for housing and commercial development. Importantly, the strategy designates ‘green wedges’ to safeguard natural spaces and maintain distinct community boundaries.
Over the past decade, three developers have submitted plans for major housing projects in the village of Trull, supplementing the ongoing Orchard Grove urban extension. This extension will eventually stretch from Honiton Road to the A38 Wellington Road, in the area formerly known as Comeytrowe parish. However, a final decision on these new housing proposals has been deferred pending the green wedge review, expected to conclude in early February. Further delays could occur if viability concerns arise.
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The earliest application, submitted by Broadlands Twenty Twelve in January 2015, proposes 145 homes west of Honiton Road, near the Canonsgrove halls of residence linked to Bridgwater and Taunton College. Most homes would be situated between Canonsgrove and Sweethay Lane, accessed primarily from Honiton Road. A smaller cluster of houses and allotments lie north of Sweethay Lane, connected via a road near Trull Tennis Club.
Less than a mile north lies land between Honiton Road and Dipford Road, earmarked for a new roundabout to link Trull with the Orchard Grove estate via Egremont Road. The exact roundabout design remains unclear; current plans suggest that Dipford Road may be cut off near the cricket club’s entrance. Somerset Council secured funding from the government’s new homes accelerator fund for Orchard Grove, but details on how much funding will finalize Egremont Road and the roundabout are still pending.
Representatives of the Orchard Grove consortium welcomed the funding, emphasizing the scheme’s role in meeting regional housing needs and expressing commitment to collaborating with local authorities to deliver quality homes and infrastructure.
Nevertheless, Trull Parish Council has voiced concerns about fragmented planning and the lack of coordination between developers. They worry that disconnected planning could result in multiple isolated housing cul-de-sacs rather than cohesive community integration.
Further north, BSL Strategic Ltd. submitted plans in October 2024 for 125 homes on agricultural land north of Comeytrowe Road, east of existing homes. This development would connect Comeytrowe Road and College Way via a new spine road, altering a current public right of way behind homes on New Road and Bradford Close.
The third site, proposed by Trull LVA LLP on Dipford Road near Trull Cricket Club, would host 130 homes accessed from the western part of the site. If approved, this development and the Orchard Grove estate would nearly encircle the cricket club with residential properties.
Combined, these projects aim to deliver 400 new homes, including 100 affordable units, aligning with the council’s policy requiring 25% affordable housing for developments over ten homes in the former Taunton Deane area.
Trull Parish Council has formally objected, citing concerns about the volume of housing and insufficient amenities such as secondary schools and medical facilities to support the new population. They note the slow uptake at Orchard Grove and the negative impact on local secondary school availability, warning that approving these plans could lead to prolonged construction disruptions and financial risks.
Taunton Town Council shares worries about losing a designated green wedge and has flagged the College Way access as potentially unsafe.
All three sites fall within the River Tone catchment area, necessitating strict phosphate mitigation measures to protect the Somerset Levels and Moors from environmental harm.
An update preceding the council’s strategic planning meeting on January 22 revealed that the Honiton Road and Comeytrowe Road proposals remain on hold awaiting the green wedge review, while the Dipford Road application is still under consultee assessment.
The council’s planning and transport policy executive sub-committee will evaluate the review results on February 4. Final decisions for the developments are expected by year-end, with hearings to be held publicly due to the applications' scale and significance.