Dozens more homes could be built on the edge of the Quantock Hills area of outstanding natural beauty, at Nether Stowey.

Strongvox Homes is currently constructing the Cricketer Farm development north of the A39 Cannington Road in Nether Stowey, on the northern edge of the Quantock Hills area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).

The initial development comprises 109 homes, with 16 being affordable as a result of a £1.5m grant from Homes England and £180,000 to offset the impact of the Hinkley Point C construction programme.

The Taunton-based developer has now applied to expand this development with a further 58 homes to the north.

If approved, the new homes will be built off the existing spine road through the site, connecting the second phase of the development to the crossroads with the A39, which was completed in 2022.

Of the 58 new homes within this phase, 40 per cent will be affordable (the equivalent of 23 properties), with the homes ranging from one-bedroom maisonettes to four-bedroom houses.

Two new attenuation ponds will be created along the north and east of the site, with some green space being set aside for a possible orchard.

As part of the development, around £490,000 will be provided through the community infrastructure levy (CIL) towards new schools or extending existing schools in and around the village.

A spokesman for Strongvox Homes said: “Nether Stowey is a sustainable village which benefits from a wide range of services and facilities, which not only serve the residents of Nether Stowey but act as a focal point for the surrounding rural hinterland.

“The application site is conveniently located close to existing facilities within the village. In addition, these services and facilities are within easy walking and cycling distance.

“The application site is a sustainable location for residential development.”

Nether Stowey is expected to provide a minimum of 75 new homes by 2032 under the Sedgemoor Local Plan – a total which has already been exceeded.

In addition to the Cricketer Farm site,  F. & G. Jeanes & Sons Ltd. is seeking permission to build 83 homes and a retail unit north of the A39 Long Cross, less than a mile west of the Strongvox site.

Strongvox is currently delivering homes at numerous sites across Somerset, including 40 homes on Lympsham Road in Lympsham (which was approved by Sedgemoor District Council in July 2022), 38 homes on the B3139 Blackford Road in Wedmore (approved in March 2021) and Paddons Farm in Stogursey (a stone’s throw from the Hinkley Point C site).

The developer attempted to secure permission for a further 35 homes on the B3140 Brent Road in East Brent, not far from the M5 – but these were turned down in April 2022.

Somerset Council is expected to make a decision on the Cricketer Farm plans later in the year.

Due to the size of the proposed development, the application may be debated in public by its planning committee north, which debates major planning applications within the former Sedgemoor area.