Residents of Stoke St. Mary, a small village in Somerset, are united in opposition to plans for a new town consisting of around 7,000 homes near their community. The proposed development, put forward by major developer Taylor Wimpey, was revealed earlier this month as part of Somerset Council’s latest Local Plan consultation, which sets housing and employment site allocations through to 2045.
Taylor Wimpey’s scheme envisions a ‘garden village’ east of Taunton Racecourse, promising that areas closest to the Blackdown Hills—a cherished National Landscape—will be safeguarded from inappropriate construction. Despite these assurances, local residents worry the project will cause extensive urban sprawl and permanently alter the rural character that defines Somerset’s landscape.
The ‘Save the Blackdown Vale’ campaign launched at a packed meeting in Stoke St. Mary Village Hall on July 15 highlights growing community concerns. Organizers urge residents to submit formal objections before the current consultation closes on July 24, stressing the importance of public input to influence planning decisions.
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Campaign spokesperson Colin Fisher emphasized, “This development is entirely unsuitable and would destroy the unique Blackdown Vale, which forms the stunning backdrop to the Blackdown Hills. This landscape deserves protection, not to be covered with concrete.”
The planned development area primarily lies within Orchard Portman Parish, extending into Stoke St. Mary and West Hatch and even overlapping with parts of the Blackdown Hills’ boundary and adjacent ancient woodlands such as Netherclay and Thurlbear.
Rob Hossel, another campaign member, underlined the significance of Somerset’s rural identity. “Somerset’s strength lies in its countryside. While we support sustainable, community-integrated growth, developments that fundamentally change the essence of an area are unacceptable.”
Though the masterplan for the site remains unpublished, it reportedly includes essential infrastructure such as new primary and secondary schools with special needs facilities, a healthcare hub, mass transit connections to Taunton town centre, commercial spaces, and affordable housing, including specialist children’s homes.
Taylor Wimpey pledges that over half of the site will be preserved as green space for recreation, agriculture, equestrian activities, children’s play areas, and biodiversity enhancement. They also confirm no homes will be built within the Blackdown Hills boundary itself.
Among the campaign’s supporters is Rebecca Pow, former MP for Taunton Deane and past environment minister under Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. She warned, “This is some of Somerset’s most productive farmland, critical to our food security. Once it’s lost, it can never be reclaimed. The ancient woodland and a nearby site of special scientific interest would also be at serious risk from this development.”
The Local Plan consultation remains open until July 24 via Somerset Council’s website. Results of this consultation phase will be shared in early November, with a second public consultation on detailed development proposals due in September 2027. A final consultation round is planned for March 2028, after which the plan will be submitted for review and potential public hearings by the Planning Inspectorate.
If approved as scheduled, the Somerset Local Plan including this new town proposal will be formally adopted on March 16, 2029.