Consultation to Date

Between April - July 2023 we initially consulted with local interest groups on an early concept plan. These groups included the local football, rugby, cricket, scouts and brownies clubs. We also sought views from healthcare and medical providers. We wanted to properly understand the need for improved local facilities first to inform the nature and scale of any potential development proposals for wider public consultation.

In November 2023 we launched online public consultation with an updated masterplan. This was complemented by an in-person event on 1st March 2024. A summary of the feedback received is available here. 

What's New

The need for a new medical centre has been raised consistently throughout consultation and many told us that development could be supported if delivery of this key infrastructure is guaranteed. West of England Developments has been in discussion with Symphony Medical Services to understand the capacity issues raised in relation to local healthcare services provided at North Petherton Surgery. Within Somerset, North Petherton Surgery is the most under-sized practice with the highest density of patients.  

Since our in-person consultation event in March 2024, Symphony has prepared and submitted an initial business case to the NHS’ Integrated Care Board (ICB) to agree whether providing a new medical centre site at Park Lane is a viable and deliverable solution. 

In January 2025, the ICB Committee considered the initial business case and we received the following feedback from Symphony:

“I am pleased to confirm that that the Somerset Integrated Care Board has approved the proposals for a new surgery development in North Petherton and will work with the practice to agree finer details once planning permission is given.”

The intention is that West of England Developments would provide the land for the medical centre within the development site and apply for its outline planning permission. In the event that outline planning permission is granted, Symphony would prepare and submit a detailed planning application for the medical centre and construct the facility on site. 

Since our previous masterplan, Symphony and the ICB have advised that a larger medical centre (around 1200sqm) is required across a 1 acres site with around 60 car parking spaces. This is now shown on the latest masterplan below.

We have also explored opportunities to reduce the proposed houses (from 60 to 45) and instead propose a care home, delivered by LNT Care, to diversify the residential element of our development proposals. A 66-bed care home is therefore now shown on the masterplan. Again, this part of the site is proposed for outline planning permission, with LNT Care taking forward the detailed design and delivery.

In addition to the medical centre and the care home, the following development would be sought for full planning permission:

• 45 residential houses with 14 of these (30%) being affordable. 

• A junior cricket pitch to meet the aims of the Council’s Playing Pitch Strategy.

• A scout hut building with parking.

• Single vehicle access off the A38 and cycle/footways crossing the site north-south.

• 15m wide landscape buffer with bunding along the A38 with further landscape and ecological enhancements on the eastern boundary with the M5.