South Somerset plan for 16,000 homes approved

Nearly 800 homes will be built in Mudford, near Yeovil, the planning inspector has decided

Plans to build 16,000 new homes in south Somerset have been approved by a government inspector after two years of scrutiny.

Alterations have been made to South Somerset District Council's local plan, which covers housing and business growth until 2028.

The local plan does not mean all the homes will be built but instead dictates where development is allowed.

Councillors now need to adopt the local plan so it can formally become policy.

'Overjoyed'

Across the district, about 10,500 homes have already been approved and are in the pipeline.

The main changes the planning inspector has made are plans for 2,500 homes to the south west of Yeovil towards East Coker to be replaced with 800 homes and a similar number for the north east of Yeovil at Mudford.

Proposed homes in Mudford were previously dropped by the council in 2003, but the plan was resurrected during the inspector's review of the local plan over the past two years.

In Ilminster, homes will be built in Canal Road rather than Shudrick Valley because of the effect on the landscape.

Rob Drayton, from Save Shudrick Valley, said: "We've been fighting for three years and we are overjoyed at the decision."

The planning inspector scrapped the East Coker and North Coker Buffer Zone as fewer homes will now be built in the locality so it will not be needed.

South Somerset District Council will meet on 5 March where they will vote on whether to adopt the local plan.