Decision to be made on Sulis Down development near Bath

The different phases of the Sulis Down development cover land to the south of Bath

A plan to build hundreds of homes in rural land close to Bath will be decided within weeks.

The Hignett Family Trust wants to build 290 homes on fields above South Stoke, just next to Odd Down.

Bath and North East Somerset Council has set the date of 15 November to decide whether to grant planning permission for the development.

Campaigners in South Stoke opposed to the development have described the plans as "utter madness".

The houses would be a mix of sizes, ranging from two-bedrooms to five-bedrooms with 116 homes of the homes being affordable homes.

The proposal forms the third and fourth phases of the Sulis Down development.

A Hignett Family Trust statement said: "The plan will encourage sustainable lifestyles through urban design that connects people and places with the local landscape and food production and in so doing, help engender a sense of wellbeing through meaningful connections to nature."

The first phase of the development is behind the Odd Down Park and Ride

Phase one of the project was the new development of 171 homes of Combe Hay Lane, behind Odd Down Park and Ride.

That development was approved "with the utmost reluctance" by Bath and North East Somerset Council in 2018.

Dr Mark Baggott of the South of Bath Alliance (SOBA) said in 2022: "Bath is a world heritage site and this cannot be allowed.

"The green fields are popular for fresh air and exercise, as well as being important for agriculture."

The whole site sits within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Bath's World Heritage Site but the land is a strategic allocated site for 300 homes.

With the houses being built in phase one, the Sulis Down development would exceed this and come closer to 450 homes - but council planning policies state the 300 homes figure "is not a cap" if all relevant principles are met.