00:00Bridgewater residents are pushing back against plans for more new homes on the town's southern
00:07edge, launching a petition to protect what they call a valued green space between Road Lane and
00:14the Hamp Brook. Developers Bloor Homes say Southwest has put forward early proposals for
00:22225 new homes on the site, land currently used by locals for walking, wildlife watching and
00:29recreation. It's part of an area known as the Meads, which also pays a key role in flood prevention
00:35and biodiversity. But not everyone is on board. More than 1,000 people have signed a petition
00:42calling on Somerset Council to reject the plans and look instead at brownfield sites elsewhere in the
00:48town. Alex Shaw Young, who lives nearby and organised the petition, says that local infrastructure just
00:56can't cope. He says that if you look at Wills Road and Road Lane now, they're not going to be able to
01:02take the traffic from another 225 homes. The land sits between two existing estates, Wildstock and
01:11Risemore, and is within walking distance of the new Wildstock Primary School due to open in September
01:182027. Access would be created via a new T-junction on Road Lane, with upgraded pedestrian links towards
01:26Durley Garden. The developers stated it only became involved with the site in late 24, after most of
01:33the Wildstock and Stockmore had already been built. A planning application is expected before Christmas,
01:39with a decision likely by spring 26.
Comments