North Petherton, a growing Somerset town near the M5, is set to see hundreds of new homes built in the coming years, yet the delivery of an essential new GP surgery could be delayed until at least 2027.
Somerset Council is reviewing outline plans for a development that includes 64 homes, a scout hut, and a cricket pitch east of the A38 Taunton Road. While a decision on the housing proposal is expected by early summer, the approval process for the accompanying medical centre will require a separate application, potentially postponing its construction for several more years.
In the meantime, the existing North Petherton Surgery on Church Walk will face increased pressure as new residents move into the expanding town. The surgery was named in a 2020 Somerset health assessment as one of 14 practices needing expansion or relocation due to local housing growth. To ease demand, two temporary portable buildings were installed—one in 2021 during the pandemic and another in early 2024. These structures are currently permitted to remain until mid-2029.
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The proposed site for the new surgery is part of the Taunton Road development, opposite the recently completed Carrots Farm estate, and near planned infrastructure like a solar farm on the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal. West of England Developments (Taunton) Ltd. will build the new homes, while the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB) will fund and deliver the medical centre using contributions from local housing developments.
Details on funding have not yet been disclosed, as negotiations and legal agreements between the developer, council, and ICB are ongoing and contingent on planning approvals. Somerset Council emphasized that infrastructure delivery agreements are typically finalized after applications are fully assessed.
Recent years have seen significant housing growth in North Petherton. Three estates totaling 235 homes have been completed near the rugby club to the south of town, encroaching on what was once a green buffer. Further north, up to 511 homes are planned within the Bridgwater Gateway development near junction 24 of the M5.
Moreover, multiple housing proposals are actively progressing, driven by government targets, housing demand linked to local projects like Hinkley Point C and a nearby gigafactory, and the council’s lack of a five-year housing land supply. Notable plans include:
- Bloor Homes South West’s potential 140 homes at Dancing Hill, requiring High Street realignment to manage traffic impacts.
- North Petherton LVA LLP’s 175-home scheme near Daws Lane by the A38.
- Gladman Developments’ bid for 190 homes between Newton Road and the M5, aiming to succeed where a previous application failed in 2017.
If these developments receive approval by late 2026, North Petherton could add approximately 500 more homes before the new GP surgery is built and operational.
Currently, no date has been set for the GP surgery application to be reviewed by the council’s planning committee responsible for the area. Additionally, the council has not specified how many new homes must be occupied before the surgery’s construction is triggered, noting that such infrastructure delivery timelines are usually negotiated as part of Section 106 agreements and remain under discussion.