LAND NORTH OF MUDFORD ROAD
YEOVIL
WELCOME
Thank you very much for taking the time to review our detailed design for Phase 1 of the proposed Development at Mudford Road, Yeovil which already has Outline Planning Permission.
Bloor Homes are a family-owned national housebuilder with a strong track record across the South West of England, known for well-designed, high-quality homes and carefully planned developments.
Homeowners have for the seventh year running rated us 5 stars, as recognised by the Home Builders Federation.
This website is intended to provide an opportunity to consider the proposals and to submit comments which will be taken into account as the proposals are developed and refined throughout the reserved matters process.
Details on how to submit comments are provided at the bottom of this webpage.
WELCOME
Thank you very much for taking the time to review our detailed design for Phase 1 of the proposed Development at Mudford Road, Yeovil which already has Outline Planning Permission.
Bloor Homes are a family-owned national housebuilder with a strong track record across the South West of England, known for well-designed, high-quality homes and carefully planned developments.
Homeowners have for the seventh year running rated us 5 stars, as recognised by the Home Builders Federation.
This website is intended to provide an opportunity to consider the proposals and to submit comments which will be taken into account as the proposals are developed and refined throughout the reserved matters process.
Details on how to submit comments are provided at the bottom of this webpage.
Planning History
The Mudford Road outline planning permission ref: 22/00695/OUT was granted outline planning permission on 18th March 2023 (as granted under appeal APP/E3335/W/23/3328322). All matters were reserved for future determination except for access.
The scope of the planning permission was for the erection of up to 252 dwellings, public open space (including community orchard and village green), woodland planting, ecological buffers, sustainable drainage systems, a biodiverse wetland habitat and other ancillary works.
THE SITE
The site is located on the northern edge of Yeovil, within the South Somerset District. It lies approximately 1.7 miles from the town centre, which is accessible via the A359. Regular bus services provide connections to the town centre, offering a full range of local amenities and access to two railway stations for onward travel.
The site benefits from proximity to local schools and community facilities, all within approximately 800 metres of the site’s centre. These are accessible via public rights of way and well-lit pavements, providing safe pedestrian and cycle connections towards the town centre.
The site is not subject to any specific statutory environmental designations, such as the Green Belt, Conservation Area, SSSI, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, or otherwise. The site does fall within the National Character Area of the Yeovil Scarplands; the local landscape character is the Yeovil Northern Escarpment & Foothills.
The site slopes downwards from south to north by varying gradients and also falls away to the west towards a ditch / stream (known as ‘Bearley Brook’) which forms the western boundary of the site. The Yeovil Without Sewage works lies adjacent to the north-western side of the site.
An assessment of flood risk sources to the site was completed. The site is in Flood Zone 1 and there is a low risk of flooding from fluvial and tidal sources, groundwater, drainage and infrastructure and artificial sources.
ENGAGEMENT
The process has been iterative, and the scheme has evolved at each stage to reflect where relevant, the advice and comments received.
The scheme has substantially evolved as part of the consultation process to reflect the added layers of information and discussion. This reserved matters submission is focused on a Phase 1 as a direct result of the QRP and pre-application process which highlighted some parts of the site that may benefit from an adjustment to the masterplan that formed part of the outline planning application process.
The adjustments relating to development parcels outside the scope of this reserved matters submission need time to be fully considered and will develop through further engagement with consultees before being submitted as a Phase 2 set of reserved matters for approval in due course.
THE PROPOSALS
The Phase 1 reserved matters application for 109 new homes comprises:
- Traditional housing design reflecting the residential character of Yeovil
- EV charging points for each dwelling
- Energy efficient homes, including solar PV to reduce their carbon impact
- A range of ecology features including swift bricks, hedgehog holes within the housing parcels
- Biodiverse Wetland Habitat to enhance biodiversity value to contribute to achieving the site-wide requirement of 20% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
- The approval of reserved matters will also trigger a wide range of benefits for the Council and local community through the s106 agreement that was completed at the outline stage
TECHNICAL APPROACH
DRAINAGE / FLOOD RISK
The proposed on-site development area is entirely within Flood Zone 1 (the lowest risk of flooding).
The ground investigation report concluded that infiltration is not a suitable method of discharge and that flows should instead be attenuated and discharged to surface water.
Surface water run-off from the development will drain to a number of attenuation basins located within the development site with a restricted discharge into the existing watercourse which forms the western and northern of the site. The location of the basins is dictated by the site topography.
The drainage strategy accounts for runoff from all storms up to the 100-year return period. This ensures the development will be safe throughout its lifetime, without increasing flood risk elsewhere.
The strategy also safeguards against the upper end allowances for climate change, which will provide further betterment until such time as this level of climate change has been realised.
These discharge rates provide a significant betterment compared to the natural greenfield condition and are compliant with the adopted guidance. The proposed surface water strategy therefore follows the principles of the outline-approved strategy and provides additional betterment by incorporating the latest climate change allowances.
SUSTAINABILITY
Bloor Homes is committed to ensuring that all its developments accord with the latest building regulation requirements to provide a high-quality sustainable design. Bloor Homes will incorporate measures to reduce the carbon footprint of the development through sustainable construction measures, including:
- Improved energy efficiency through careful building siting, design and orientation
- PV panels
- Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDs)
- Fabric efficiency in the design of buildings
- Use of building materials capable of being recycled
- An element of construction waste reduction and recycling
- Lighting controls
- Electric vehicle charging, and
- Reduction in water usage
TRANSPORT & ACCESS
The proposals and their impact upon the highway network was comprehensively assessed at the outline planning stage. As part of this assessment existing road safety was analysed and due care and attention has been paid as part of the development proposals. Trip distribution was also calculated at this time, based on a combination of census data, extant permissions, and allocated sites for development within the local area with the impact on the junctions suitably assessed and confirmed to be acceptable.
The main access to the site has been approved in detail through the outline planning permission and is not for determination as part of this submission. Condition no. 4 attached to the appeal decision confirms that Access Plan ref: 23037/PHL/01 Rev E shall be accorded with.
The approved highway access arrangement will be to replace the existing ghost island junction between Mudford Road and Lyde Road with a four-arm traffic signal-controlled junction with the fourth arm providing the access into the development.
Two points of access for pedestrians and cyclists will be formed, broadly at either end of the site frontage to provide active travel connections into Yeovil. The main access will incorporate ‘advanced’ stop lines for cyclists on three arms of the roundabout proposed, with pedestrian footways provided on either side of the main access route. Controlled pedestrian crossings on the site arm and Mudford Road-west arms is incorporated into the proposed access layout.
A new footway on the northern side of Mudford Road will connect between where the existing footway provision ends, and the new access delivered as part of the development proposals. Towards the western end of the site frontage, a further active travel connection will be formed onto the new footway, which will incorporate formal provision for cyclists to leave and join Mudford Road.
Uncontrolled pedestrian crossing points will be provided at a number of key locations along the site frontage. Off-site, it is proposed to make general improvements to existing key pedestrian linkages to ensure they remain attractive for residents.
The proposals therefore ensure that a safe vehicular access can be provided, with pedestrian / cyclists prioritised through the provision of new infrastructure and both formal and informal crossing points.
The site is in an accessible location for growth for walking, cycling, and using public transport.
LANDSCAPE & HERITAGE
There are no designated built heritage assets within the site or in its immediate vicinity. The historic core of Woolavington lies north-north-west of the site and contains several Listed buildings, which are screened from the site by existing residential development areas.
The landscape within Phase 1 builds on the outline principles of creating a green framework for the development. Proposed native trees, shrub planting and grassland create a diverse range of foraging and habitat opportunities for birds, bats, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects. These landscape features also creative an attractive setting for the dwellings providing a variety of forms, textures and colours throughout the year. The gateway space creates an attractive entrance to the development with exiting trees utilised to form focal spaces.
The proposed SUDs basins provide storm water management whilst creating a visual focal point within the open space to the north. Marginal planting, native tree and shrub planting create further habitat opportunities and tie the features into the site wide open space.
There are no above ground heritage assets, such as listed buildings, on or close to the site which have been affected directly by the development, or indirectly by effects on their setting.
Below ground heritage assets have been identified on the proposed development site by geophysical survey and archaeological evaluation. Two planning conditions which secure appropriate mitigation measures have been attached to the outline consent which will be discharged prior to their respective trigger points.
ECOLOGY
The proposals exceed the biodiversity net gain requirement of 20% for Phase 1 and will achieve at least 20% site wide when the Phase 2 Reserved Matters are submitted. Bloor Homes’ response to biodiversity on site includes:
- Bloor Homes are signed up to the Homes for Nature Scheme, which will mean that every home will have the following:
– Bird-nesting brick or box installed
– Hedgehog highways implemented within the scheme - In addition to this the proposals will seek to incorporate additional features such as:
– Insect bricks and hibernacula
– Nature-led sustainable urban drainage systems including the biodiverse wetland habitat / reedbed
– Wildflower planting - Site wide, the development proposals look to retain the existing vegetation on site and:
– Plant over 280 trees
– Create meadow grassland
– Plant extensive orchards
– Approx. 1500m native hedgerow planting
In response to a request made during the pre-application feedback from the Council ecology officer, an updated site survey to confirm current on-site conditions was undertaken by GE Consulting on 21st October 2025. The site was found to be in the same condition as when surveyed for the EIA, because of this we would not expect protected species surveys to be repeated as part of a reserved matters application.
A Biodiversity Net Gain Strategy has been submitted as part of the Phase 1 reserved matters submission. This document provides a detailed BNG assessment for the first phase of the development and demonstrates that the required 20% BNG is achievable across the wider scheme in line with the s106 agreement.
Arboriculture
An arboricultural survey was undertaken on 4th June 2025 and an Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Method Statement has been included within the Phase 1 submission. All trees located within the site boundary have been surveyed as part of this assessment. Additionally, those trees located immediately adjacent to the site boundary and that have the potential to constrain the development have also been surveyed as part of this assessment.
Throughout the scheme, existing trees, hedgerows, woodlands and grassland will be retained in the POS where possible and managed in a way that ensures the existing landscape features are utilised and enhanced as necessary.
The proposals will not only increase tree provision but result in a wider variety of tree species to improve climate resilience and ecological value.
Thank you for taking the time
to consider our proposals
This consultation is now closed.
Thank you for taking the time to consider our proposals
This consultation is now closed.