Revised plans have been put forward to build 110 new homes on a “green lung” near Highbridge town centre.

Coln Residential Ltd. applied in August 2018 to build homes south of the existing Lakeside homes, on land owned by Sedgemoor District Council.

The council voted in July 2020 to sell the land to the developer for £350,000, despite an outcry from local residents who called for the site to be preserved as a “green lung” for future generations.

The council’s development committee voted to approve the outline proposals in February 2020, but legal agreements between the council and developer (including contributions to local schools and the play facilities) were only signed in early-September 2021.

The site has now been sold to Boklok UK Ltd. (the same developer seeking to deliver the bulk of the new homes within the Bridgwater Gateway site), with a decision on revised plans for the site expected at the end of the summer.

The new homes will be accessed from the existing Lakeside estate road, with various play areas being included and a “kickabout area” being created near the railway line.

The existing Springfield Park footpath over the railway will remain closed as part of the development, with the public right of way being re-routed along Bristol Road.

The homes will be a mixture of two- and three-bedroom properties, of which at least 30 per cent will be affordable in line with the council’s target for any new development of ten houses or more.

Worston Rhyne, which runs through the centre of the site near to the Walrow Ponds, will be “re-contoured, widened, re-aligned and shelved” to ensure residents’ safety and encourage wildlife.

A spokesman for Property Link (representing the applicant) said: “All Boklok homes are manufactured off-site in state-of-the-art production facilities using low-carbon impact materials, such as sustainably sourced timber, and exceed current environmental legislation and performance requirements.

“The fast delivery of much-needed affordable housing, for local people and potential new residents to the area in particular, is a benefit of substantial weight.”

Highbridge has seen substantial interest from housing developers in recent times, which numerous sizeable developments being planned or under construction near the Lakeside site.

Directly to the south, on the other side of Walrow Ponds, Flower & Hayes Ltd. secured permission in October 2020 to build 46 homes off the B3139 Walrow, a short distance from Highbridge and Burnham railway station.

Further west of the site, revised plans for 29 flats at the corner of the B3139 Market Street and the A38 Huntspill Road were put forward in mid-June.

The Brue Farm development, which will eventually comprise up to 550 homes and a primary school, is currently being constructed on the southern side of the River Brue – with a new pedestrian and cycling bridge over the river expected to be delivered following a public consultation.

Plans are also being considered for 248 homes on Isleport Lane at the town’s eastern edge, after outline permission for the same site was granted in November 2019.

The council is expected to make a decision on the Lakeside plans by the end of the summer.