
Introduction
The development at Staplegrove West will be starting this summer. Bloor Homes is carrying out public consultation to advise members of the public and stakeholders of the intended programme of development works and to share the recently submitted design guide which will inform design principles of future residential applications.
Following the approval of a revised Outline planning approval (Somerset Council reference: 38/23/0347) the development is due to begin work in July 2025, starting with the main site access at the A358, Staplegrove Road/Silk Mills junction.
Detailed Reserved Matters applications will also be submitted this summer for the first section of Spine Road and the first phase of residential development.
This consultation describes the proposed development, its background and planning policy context. A series of plans are provided below and the opportunity to provide comments and feedback regarding the emerging proposals.
Alongside this website consultation, a public exhibition is to be held between 3-7pm on 21st May at Staplegrove Village Hall.
The Site and its Planning Context
The site forms part of a strategic housing allocation divided into Staplegrove East and West as shown in the plan below. Bloor Homes is in control of Staplegrove West, which comprises several irregular shaped fields to the west of Whitmore Lane bounded by hedgerows with a number of mature trees to the site boundaries.
An Outline permission was originally granted in 2019 (Ref.34/16/0007) with the first phase of development starting at a temporary access with Corkscrew Lane. Bloor Homes has obtained a revised Outline permission (Ref: 38/23/0347) removing the Corkscrew Lane access, with access and the first phase of development from the A358, Staplegrove Road/Silk Mills junction.
A358, Staplegrove Road/Silk Mills Junction
The site access works are due to commence in July 2025, for a period up to 12 months. The approved works involve widening the A358 approaches to the Silk Mills roundabout to provide additional turning lanes, including a new junction into the site. The Silk Mills roundabout would be removed and replaced with a new traffic light junction. Enhanced footways, cycleways and crossings would be provided.
Reserved Matters Applications
Following the revised Outline application approval, this summer, Bloor Homes will be submitting separate Reserved Matters (detailed) applications for the first phase of housing (approximately 240 homes) and the internal spine road up to the junction of Rectory Road.
Phasing and Timing
The revised Outline application included an approved phasing plan, which is available in the downloads section. This shows Phase 1A comprising the access at the A358, Staplegrove Road/Silk Mills Junction and Phase 1B as the first residential phase.
The access works, which form part of Phase 1A, will start in July 2025, for a period up to 12 months.
The residential Phase 1B is likely to start in December 2025 for a period of 5 years.
The Design Guide
The Outline application requires that a Design Guide is approved by the Council to inform the design and layout of housing within the site. The Design Guide has been submitted to the Council for approval and is provided in the downloads section of this website. The Design Guide has been bene reviewed by an independent Quality Review Panel (QRP) on 19th May 2025. Feedback from the QRP is awaited.
Once the Design Guide is approved, it will be used to inform future detailed Reserved Matters applications for the respective phases of the development as it progresses.
Public Exhibition
The public exhibition at Staplegrove Village Hall will display a series of boards containing the following information:
- Welcome: Intro to Bloor and Consultation event
- Staplegrove West Background and where we are in the planning process
- Design Guide (setting out purpose, brief summary of Garden Town agenda, and Landscape/ Ecology Led Approach
- Transport Strategy and wider active travel connectivity
- Architectural Character, Materials, Sustainability and reducing Carbon
- Scheme Benefits
A copy of the exhibition boards is available in the downloads section of this website.
Next Steps
Consultation on the emerging proposals finished on 4th June 2025.
Comments from this public consultation, other stakeholder engagement and the Quality Review Panel will be reviewed by the design team and incorporated where appropriate. The intention is to submit Reserved Matters applications for the first residential phase and the internal spine road in July 2025. Somerset Council will then carry out its own consultation once the application has been submitted, allowing comments to be directly sent to the Council itself.
This website will be kept open beyond the consultation deadline and will be updated periodically to advise members of the public and stakeholders of any further news and updates as the development progresses.
Downloads
The following documents provide more information on the site and proposals:
Site Location Plan
Phasing Plan
Design Guide
Public Exhibition Boards
Detailed drawings of the A358, Staplegrove Road/Silk Mills Junction
New proposed off-site pedestrian and cycle routes