The Selwood Garden Community (SGC), a sizeable new development planned on farmland at Frome’s southern edge, has been officially put up for sale. Situated between the B3090 Marston Lane and the busy A361, the site is set to become a vibrant new neighbourhood featuring 1,700 homes, commercial spaces, two care homes, a local centre with shops, a potential medical centre, a primary school, and extensive public open spaces and sports facilities.
In April, Housing Secretary Steve Reed MP approved the project following a public inquiry conducted in Shepton Mallet earlier in August. Cooper and Tanner, the agency handling the sale, is currently seeking bids to acquire the land, with a deadline of September 16 for initial offers.
Their brochure highlights this as “a rare opportunity to deliver one of the largest consented garden communities in the South West,” emphasizing Frome’s status as one of Somerset’s most desirable market towns. Of the 1,700 homes planned, 30% (about 510 homes) will be affordable, offering options like social rental, shared ownership, and other low-cost housing.
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Infrastructure improvements include upgrades to the Beckington and White Post roundabouts, vital routes connecting local villages, Bath, and Trowbridge. The Selwood Garden Community complements several other developments currently underway on Frome’s southern outskirts, including Keyford Meadows and sites along The Mount.
Cooper and Tanner’s Frome office describes the project as an outstanding prospect for housebuilders, investors, and development partners. Interested parties may bid on the entire site or its three main segments: residential land, employment land, and the care home gateway building. The sale process includes two rounds: an initial bid by September 16, followed by interviews in late October for shortlisted candidates.
The land mainly consists of agricultural fields, dotted with mature hedgerows, scattered trees, and a few individual properties. The freehold is being sold via informal tender, with no plans to subdivide beyond the three principal lots.
The successful bidder(s) will need to submit detailed reserved matters applications for the first phase by spring 2027. Given the development’s scale, these applications will likely be reviewed by the council’s planning committee east before receiving final approval. Until then, no major construction can begin, although preliminary site clearance and vegetation work may proceed.