Major new housing development reduced

The number of homes planned for the development has been reduced to 236

A major new housing development on the edge of Chard could still go ahead – but with fewer homes than was originally intended.

Persimmon Homes South West applied in July 2016 for permission to build up to 323 homes between the A358 Tatworth Road and the B3162 Forton Road, at the southern edge of the town.

The plans were subsequently revised down to 252 homes, but South Somerset District Council postponed a decision on the proposals in April 2021 due to concerns about traffic and the funding for a primary school.

The developer has now made further changes to the plans, reducing the number of homes to 236 and providing additional phosphate mitigation off-site.

More than 30% of the homes are set to be classed as affordable

The Persimmon site is part of the Chard Eastern Development Area (CEDA), which is identified in the South Somerset Local Plan to deliver at least 2,700 new homes, along with 17 hectares of employment land and two new primary schools.

Plans also include a new roundabout on Tatworth Road and the first section of the Chard eastern relief road (ERR), which is designed to take traffic away from the congested convent junction in the town centre.

The ERR is intended to eventually run from Tatworth Road over the A30 Crewkerne Road and finish at the A358 Furnham Road – though the details of the route have not been made public.

In line with existing council policy, 35% of the new homes will be affordable – the equivalent of 106 properties.

The site will include nearly 1,000 sq m of public open space with play equipment, with the developer providing funding for new sports pitches for the Chard and Forton communities.

The plans are expected to come before Somerset Council’s planning committee south for a final decision by the end of 2023.