The scheduled opening of a new primary school on the southern edge of Bridgwater has been postponed due to an increase in projected construction costs by £3.5 million.
Bloor Homes South West received planning permission from Sedgemoor District Council in July 2018 to develop the third phase of Wilstock Village, an area situated between Bridgwater and North Petherton. This phase includes 248 homes, a community hub, and the primary school.
While most of the housing has now been completed, families in the area currently rely on Somerset Bridge Primary School located in the adjacent Stockmoor Village estate or other local schools further away.
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Somerset Council, which assumed responsibilities from Sedgemoor District Council in April 2023, approved the new school’s construction in November 2025, aiming to welcome its first pupils in September 2027. However, due to rising building costs, the project is now delayed, potentially until 2029. The council has emphasised that there is sufficient school capacity available locally in the short term.
The school site is positioned on Cosmos Drive near the Wilstock Village development’s proposed community hub, which received detailed planning consent in April 2023. Designed to initially serve 210 pupils alongside a 40-place nursery, the school will be built with future expansion in mind, similar to Orchard Grove Primary School in Taunton.
The plans also include two large football pitches and outdoor play equipment, while maintaining the existing public right of way to Wilstock Lane. The delay was detailed in reports ahead of a Somerset Council executive committee meeting in Taunton.
This postponement is part of a broader review of the council’s capital projects, which has also affected the timeline for Chard’s new primary school, now expected no earlier than 2030.
According to a council spokesperson, updated cost estimates reveal that both the Wilstock and Chard primary schools require significant additional funds. In Wilstock’s case, an extra £3.5 million is needed, prompting a pause in the project while the council revisits pupil forecast data.
The initial budget for the Wilstock school was set at approximately £7.74 million, fully funded by housing developers through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). The council attributes the cost increase to widespread inflationary pressures affecting the construction sector nationally.
“We have experienced significant increases in construction costs in recent months when going to tender for major projects,” a spokesperson said. “This is not a local issue, and is affecting capital projects of all kinds across the country, with tender returns often coming back at between 30 per cent and 50 per cent more than estimated.”
The council is aiming for a school opening in September 2028 but is prepared to delay until September 2029 if necessary. There remains approximately £8 million of CIL funding allocated to the project, with no set deadline for spend. The council confirmed that current local school capacity is adequate for the short term.
Bridgwater and North Petherton have experienced significant housing growth recently, with many new homes planned within the school’s catchment area over the coming decade. Construction is due to start on 511 homes at the Bridgwater Gateway site near junction 24 of the M5, with Keepmoat Homes obtaining revised planning permission for their portion in May.
Additionally, Bloor Homes South West has revealed proposals for a further 225 homes north of Rhode Lane, located within walking distance of the future school.
Concerns were raised by Carole Edmunds, a Bridgwater Town Councillor, who claimed in early July that the school site would need to accommodate children from a planned development of 750 homes between Bower Lane and the M5. However, Somerset Council has refuted this, explaining that children moving into the eastern edge of Bridgwater typically apply to schools closer to their homes, such as Bridgwater College Academy, St John & St Francis, and Kingsmoor.
“There are also places available at other local schools within statutory walking distance, but parents are able to apply for schools of preference and places will be awarded in line with each school’s admission arrangements,” the council added.