The construction of 530 new homes at Folletts Farm, near the M5 in Bridgwater, may be accelerated by almost a year if amended plans receive approval.
Originally, Sedgemoor District Council’s development committee approved outline plans in February 2023 for up to 530 homes on the site, despite some criticisms labelling the plans as “preposterous.” These plans were submitted jointly by Lance Alec Rainey House and Hannick Homes Developments Ltd.
After Somerset Council took over from Sedgemoor District Council in April 2023, it signed the associated legal agreements for the Folletts Farm site in December 2024. Following this, the plot was placed on the market and subsequently sold to Barratt Homes.
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In February, Barratt Homes submitted revised plans for the first phase of the development, which involves building 178 homes at the northern end of the site. The developer now seeks to amend the original permission to enable construction completion and occupation of these homes to be brought forward by up to ten months if the detailed plans receive approval.
Folletts Farm represents the southernmost part of the East Bridgwater housing allocation within the Sedgemoor Local Plan. This allocation also includes the Strawberry Grange site north of Westonzoyland Road and a planned development for 750 homes near Polden Bower special needs school.
Access to the new homes will be provided via a recently constructed roundabout on Westonzoyland Road, while a T-junction off the new spine road through the site will maintain access to Dunwear Lane. Notably, the original outline planning included a condition prohibiting any development until the roundabout and main vehicular access had been completed.
With the roundabout now in place, Barratt Homes aims to modify this condition, allowing home occupation to commence once the new access has been delivered. Planning manager Emma Gillespie explained that detailed proposals for the access were submitted to the council in February, with an agreement anticipated by autumn. She noted, “This amendment is proposed to allow occupations on the site to be brought forward by up to ten months, subject to relevant ecological mitigation and technical approval, by aligning completion of the access with first occupations. No occupations will be permitted until the access is open and fully operational.”
A decision on this proposed change is expected by the end of the summer.