Residents of a small Somerset town are set to benefit from improved access to a cherished local nature reserve with the development of up to 360 new homes nearby. Herne Hill, a local nature reserve in Ilminster, serves as a natural buffer between the town, the village of Donyatt, and the small hamlet of Sea.
The reserve, spanning 25 acres, was declared a local nature reserve in September 2018 with the support of South Somerset District Council and Ilminster Town Council. Persimmon Homes South West obtained outline planning permission in January to construct the new homes between Canal Way and the nature reserve, with the main access point near The Meadows doctors' surgery.
As part of the development plans, Persimmon has committed to upgrading the footpath from Canal Way to the nature reserve, improving pedestrian and cycling links, and creating new public open space to mitigate the impact of the development. The company has also pledged contributions for local school improvements and will be fallowing council-owned agricultural land to prevent an increase in phosphate levels within the area.
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With the potential for further expansion of the nature reserve to offset the development’s impact, the reserved matters application for the Canal Way site is anticipated to provide detailed plans for the design, layout, and phasing of the new homes.