Construction on one of the largest housing estates in Somerset is now set to advance after a significant Supreme Court ruling. Taylor Wimpey is developing the Wool Gardens project on Crewkerne’s eastern edge, which is planned to include 635 homes, a 66-bed care home, commercial facilities, and a relief road connecting the A30 Yeovil Road with the A356 Station Road.
So far, construction of 110 homes at the development’s southern end is nearly complete. Temporary traffic lights remain on Station Road until 31 August to facilitate final works on the new access road.
Previously, the planning consent stipulated that no homes in the northern section could be occupied until appropriate phosphate mitigation measures were agreed upon with Somerset Council. This was intended to protect the Somerset Levels and Moors from environmental damage.
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However, following a landmark Supreme Court judgement in October 2025, Taylor Wimpey has been permitted to remove the requirement for phosphate mitigation. This enables construction in the northern part of the estate to progress at a faster pace.
The ruling came after a protracted legal dispute involving Somerset Council and developers C. G. Fry and Sons concerning the Jurston Fields development in Wellington, situated near junction 26 of the M5 motorway.
Initially, guidance issued by Natural England in August 2020 mandated that all developments within the Somerset Levels and Moors catchment area must introduce additional phosphate mitigation measures. This policy had delayed approximately 12,000 homes across the region.
The Supreme Court’s decision clarified that developments which had secured outline planning permission before this guidance was issued would not be required to provide further mitigation during the reserved matters stage.
This judgement has unlocked not only the Wool Gardens scheme but also other housing developments such as the 335-home Jurston Fields project, 35 homes on Lyndhurst Grove in Martock, and 28 homes on Head Street in Tintinhull.
Somerset Council solicitor Martin Evans confirmed the impact of the ruling in a letter to Richard Harrison, Taylor Wimpey’s land and planning director, published on the council’s planning portal. Mr Evans stated:
“Phosphate mitigation planning conditions were imposed upon two reserved matters approvals at the Crewkerne Key Site. In light of the Supreme Court judgement, it has been made clear that the council was not legally entitled to impose such conditions. Accordingly, we can confirm that the council will not seek to enforce either condition on either reserved matters approval. Given that the two conditions are legally unenforceable, our planning officers consider that they could be removed from the reserved matters approvals.”
Under the current planning permission, Taylor Wimpey is authorised to build up to 110 homes on the northern section before seeking approval for subsequent phases. An additional application for the remaining 415 homes is currently being considered by the council.