A proposed housing project near Somerset’s new £4bn ‘gigafactory’ has been abandoned as the developer failed to commence construction within the stipulated timeframe. Wain Homes Severn Valley had obtained planning consent from Sedgemoor District Council in September 2020 to construct 175 new homes on the B3141 Woolavington Hill, located at the southern boundary of Woolavington.
However, the required legal agreements, including the implementation of a new roundabout on the A39 Bath Road to replace the existing T-junction, were not formalized by planning officials until March 2022. Following negotiations in December 2024, the developer succeeded in persuading Somerset Council to reduce the number of affordable homes to be built on the site, citing the initial figures as unattainable.
With the original planning permission now expired, a fresh application must be submitted and approved for the development to proceed. The site, situated on the western side of Woolavington Hill, is bordered by two public rights of way and allotments on Sedgemoor Way.
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Wain Homes' proposals were separated into two parts - full planning permission for the first 100 homes, including a new access road onto Woolavington Hill, and outline planning permission for the remaining 75 properties. The council’s planning committee decided in December to reduce the total number of affordable homes to 30 across the entire site, attributing this change to the cooling of the housing market due to high inflation and resulting high interest rates.
Under the original planning permission, construction work had to commence within three years of the decision, expiring on March 16, 2025. Despite the site being enclosed from the public for some time, no construction has taken place, causing the planning permission to lapse.
Consequently, the proposed alterations to the affordable housing aspect of the development are now void. A council spokesperson confirmed that as the original planning permission lapsed, the amendment application to modify the affordable housing quantity has been withdrawn by the applicant.
As a result, there is no existing planning permission for the site at Woolavington Hill, necessitating the submission of a new planning application for consideration before any development can proceed.
Woolavington is anticipated to undergo significant expansion as the new £4bn gigafactory by Agratas is constructed, with the initial phase projected to be operational by 2027. Persimmon Homes Severn Valley is expected to initiate a new public consultation on its planned ‘West Woolavington’ neighborhood, aiming to deliver an additional 1,400 homes at the village’s western periphery.
Currently, construction is underway for 14 low-cost homes on Lavers Close, undertaken by Bridgwater-based housing association SHAL Housing Ltd. In December 2024, Alan Sharp, chairman of Woolavington Parish Council, emphasized the necessity for a unified approach to address the village’s urgent need for affordable housing.
He highlighted the local housing demand and expressed the council’s proactive efforts to instigate a comprehensive review of village development, underscoring the importance of broad community involvement in the process.