Councillors are preparing to decide on a planning application to build 115 homes on the outskirts of the small village of Haydon, where recent archaeological surveys uncovered significant Iron Age burials.
The Silverwood Partnership is seeking approval to develop a field on the village’s edge. During the required archaeological investigations, experts discovered the grave of an Iron Age man, as well as a joint burial of a dog and a cow. These findings have been described as “significant”, shedding light on the area’s ancient activity.
Despite the importance of these discoveries, officers from Bath and North East Somerset Council are recommending approval of the housing development. A council report states: “The archaeology has already been excavated and is no longer present on the site.”
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The council’s planning committee will vote on the proposal during their meeting on Wednesday, 5 August. Some local residents have voiced concerns, noting that the development would increase the size of Haydon by nearly 50%, fundamentally altering the character of the small community.
Local councillor Lesley Mansell (Radstock, Labour) described the project as a “dramatic and unprecedented change to this small, close-knit community.” She added: “The scale of the development is excessive for a hamlet of Haydon’s size.”
Notably, the site is not currently designated for housing in the council’s Local Plan, which guides planning decisions. However, it was listed as a potential allocation for the next Local Plan. Despite this, developers have already submitted major planning applications for several such prospective sites ahead of the plan’s formal approval.
The archaeological investigations unearthed multiple pits containing fragments of what are believed to be Iron Age pottery, as well as several post holes. The man’s skeleton was found curled in a large grain storage pit, while the complete skeleton of a cow was recovered from a ditch, with its head positioned over that of a dog, which lay on a cow horn-a burial style not uncommon in the period.
Following excavation, the skeletons were removed for detailed analysis. Should planning permission be granted, a condition will require a comprehensive report of the archaeological findings to be compiled and published.
Experts believe the Iron Age activity at the site is linked to a nearby settlement. Evidence of a Romano-British settlement was previously uncovered in an adjacent field, likely representing a continuation of earlier habitation in the area.
The planning committee’s meeting will take place in the council chamber at Bath Guildhall at 10am on 5 August.