A DRAFT initial masterplan is due to be released for a 2,000 home Garden Community in Burnham-on-Sea in the next few weeks. 

Housing developer Barratt Homes PLC has so far held meetings with residents, the Town Council and Parish Councils in the area to ascertain the details of the masterplan. The development would be situated on a 200-acre site on the north-eastern edge of the town.

The majority of the total consortium land sits between Stoddens Road to the south and Brent Road to the north. The proposed site of the town expansion is located just six miles from the planned electric vehicle battery giga-factory in Woolavington.

A spokesperson for Barratt Homes said: “Following meetings with residents, the Town Council and Parish Councils, we are developing a masterplan for a new garden community on the eastern edge of the town.”

They added: “We are still at very early stages as we seek to get the land allocated in the new Somerset Local Plan which will be published in 2025. We are confident our plans respond to the unique location which will enhance the community, and we will be releasing our draft initial masterplan in the next few weeks.”

Plans were first revealed in January 2024 that multiple landowners want to use a 200-acre section of farmland to the north of Burnham to provide over 2,000 new homes, as well as a primary school, green spaces, infrastructure, and improved flood defences.

The landowners have not yet given details of the size of the proposed dwellings, but with an average of three people per household, the development could see Burnham-on-Sea's population increase by around 36%, based on data from the 2021 census.

The possible surge in local population growth sparked concerns earlier in the year regarding potential impact on already stretched local services, such as Burnham and Berrow Medical Centre, and other healthcare providers.