MORE than 70 homes will be built near North Petherton Rugby Club – and more could come in the next few years.

Persimmon Severn Valley intends to construct 72 new dwellings on land east of the A38 Taunton Road, between the rugby club and the southern boundary of the town.

Sedgemoor District Council has given the go-ahead to these plans, despite concerns about school places and the design of the houses.

The authority intends to develop the surrounding land as well under its Local Plan, so that the area can deliver up to 230 homes by 2032.

The plans for the land immediately east of the A38 were discussed by the council’s development committee in Bridgwater on Tuesday morning (October 23).

The developer had originally proposed three separate access points to the A38, but following consultation with Somerset County Council’s highways team this has been reduced to one entrance with a right-hand turn lane on the main road.

An attenuation pond will be provided at the southern end of the site to aid with drainage, and a green buffer will separate the homes from both existing development and the rugby club.

Ellen Fortt from Persimmon Severn Valley said the site was 'available and deliverable' within the next five years.

She added: “The amount and type of dwellings has been reduced to 72, and the amount of parking has been increased following public comments.”

Cllr Mike Facey raised concern about how new school places would be funded from the site, stating that North Petherton’s existing primary school was 'oversubscribed'.

Planning officer Dawn de Vries responded that money raised from the community infrastructure levy (CIL) could be used to fund more school places in the local area.

Cllr Kathy Pearce: “There seems little reason not to approve this, since we need the houses. But I do think the design of the houses is very ‘same old, same old’ – I wish they could have been designed with a little more imagination.”

The plans were approved by the committee following a short period of deliberation.

The land between the A38 Taunton Road and Newton Road, to the south of North Petherton, has been earmarked for up to 230 homes within the council’s Local Plan, which could be approved in December.

The council’s policy for the site indicates that access for all the proposed homes would come from from the A38 – meaning that the road through the Persimmon development could be extended further east.

A spokesman said: “Access will be from the A38. Consideration should be given to providing a link road between the A38 and Newton Road, or future provision for such a link should be retained.

“The development [of the whole site] will be expected to integrate with existing developments and the wider area through provision of public footpaths and cycle ways, with potential improvements and addition of footpaths to North Newton.”