Plans are set to move forward on a new crossroads along the busy A359 Mudford Road in Yeovil, a development that could pave the way for 252 new homes in the area.
Yeovil LVA LLP won outline planning permission on appeal in March 2024 to develop the Mudford Sock site, located at the northeastern edge of Yeovil. Since then, Bloor Homes South West has acquired the land and submitted proposals for the first phase of the project, named ‘Oakmere Rise,’ which includes 109 homes.
Central to the plan is the construction of a new signalised crossroads linking Oakmere Rise directly to Mudford Road, converting the current T-junction with Lyde Road into a fully controlled intersection. The design includes pedestrian and cycle crossings at key entry points to the estate, and an additional uncontrolled crossing on Lyde Road.
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The site neighbors the Up Mudford urban extension, where Abbey Manor Homes was granted outline planning permission in October 2024 for 765 homes, commercial facilities, a care home, and an expansion of Primrose Lane Primary School. This development recently survived a legal challenge from Mudford Parish Council.
In addition to the crossroads, the project includes a new pavement along the northern side of Mudford Road, enhancing safe access to nearby Fairmead School for future residents.
Construction activities, including the crossroads, are contingent on agreement between the developer and Somerset Council on the design of a “wetland cascade”—a natural water treatment feature to prevent an increase in phosphates within the sensitive Somerset Levels and Moors catchment area.
Bloor Homes is requesting permission to begin building the access road before the wetland design is finalized, with a commitment that no homes will be occupied until the wetland is completed.
Colin Danks, director of Copperfield L&P Ltd, representing Bloor Homes, emphasized the developer’s eagerness to start work promptly. He stated, “The amendments sought ensure that while the wetland details will be approved prior to housing development, the access road construction can commence in advance without impacting the overall timeline.”
He added that advancing the access road’s construction during the school holidays would minimize disruption and serve the local community positively.
Somerset Council is expected to decide on the application by late summer 2024. Should approval be granted, Bloor Homes plans to begin highway improvements and junction construction immediately afterward.