In February, plans were made public for a potential housing development of 420 new homes, associated infrastructure, access, roads, drainage/utilities, public open spaces and landscaping, on land east of Oldford Hill, between Oldford, and Gypsy Lane in Frome (see here).

This was through the submission of a request to Somerset Council for a formal Screening Opinion on whether the proposal would require Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The Council’s planning team has recently decided that EIA is not required (see documents here) as significant effects on the environment are not likely.

However, I understand that the applicants will be submitting reports of a range of environmental surveys and assessments, including for landscape, ecology, heritage and traffic, with their outline planning application.

I have asked the agents to consider pre-application consultations with the local community and Berkley Parish and Frome Town Councils, which is likely to take place before submission of an outline planning application later this year.

The promoter’s website and Vision document on the scheme from last year can be found at Frome – Barwood Land. The site was put forward by the landowner in the Mendip Local Plan update ‘call for sites’ last autumn but was not considered suitable by the Council’s planning policy team as a proposed allocated site (see here, page 6, as site FRO233).