Reserved Matters approval – 50 new houses in Merriott, South Somerset

We are delighted to announce that our reserved matters application for 50 new homes in Merriott has been approved by South Somerset District Council, without the need to go before planning committee.

Working in collaboration with Betterment Properties and Land Value Alliances LLP, we were appointed to reimagine the masterplan and house types on an existing live application. The design process included a public consultation, where the Parish Council praised our “commendable willingness to work with the local community” in addressing concerns raised over an earlier scheme.

The Site
The development sits on a 4.94-acre site near the village centre, within easy reach of local amenities. A new tree-lined public open space has been introduced, responding to local feedback, while all homes are provided as houses – removing flats from the earlier proposal.

Sustainability
Phosphate mitigation has been secured through offsite land use change, converting cereal crops to woodland. This strategy enhances biodiversity while ensuring compliance with environmental requirements.

Design Approach

• Key dwellings feature local Hamstone with dressed quoins and lintels
• Secondary elevations use light render, while others adopt multi-red brick
• Larger homes incorporate parapets with stone coping to reflect local character

The planning officer concluded that the scheme “respected the character of the area without resulting in any demonstrable harm to visual amenity, residential amenity, biodiversity or highway safety.”

This approval ensures that the development will contribute positively to the housing needs of South Somerset while delivering a carefully considered, community-led design.

Client Betterment Properties (Weymouth) Ltd
Planning Agent Land Value Alliances LLP
Highways IMA Highways
Landscape Woodlands Nurseries
Ecology Quantock Ecology