Plans to deliver 330 new homes at the northern edge of Frome will have "no clear benefits" for local residents, campaigners have claimed.

Land promoter Barwood Land entered into a promotion agreement in February 2021 surrounding around 85 acres (just over 34 hectares) of land on the northern edge of Frome, between Frome Rugby Football Club on Gypsy Lane and the B3090 Oldford Hill.

The company, based just outside Northampton, submitted initial proposals (known as a screening and scoping request) in February 2024 to deliver up to 420 new homes within the land, along with significant public open space.

The company staged a drop-in event at the rugby club on Tuesday afternoon (February 11) to showcase revised proposals, with the number of homes being reduced to 330.

But campaigners have warned that developing this site will lead to further pressure on the town's public services, increase the risk of flooding and be "very damaging" to the local environment.

The new homes will be accessed from two new access points on Oldford Hill, along with a secondary access onto Gypsy Lane – with the promoter intending to "divert the western extent" of this road into the development site to reduce congestion on the narrow road.

The new homes will be concentrated at the southern end of the site, with a new country park being created at the northern end of the site to provide a green buffer between the town and the surrounding countryside.

This country park will be complemented by additional green spaces throughout the site, with new pedestrian and cycling links being provided to link the homes to the town centre and Commerce Park.

Of the 330 homes planned, 99 will be affordable – meeting Somerset Council's target of 30 per cent affordable housing for any new development of ten homes or more within the former Mendip area.

There is also scope for delivering a village hall or similar community hub within the site if there is the demand for this.

Barwood Lane planning executive Jenny Davies said: "We've been engaging with Somerset Council since autumn last year on the parameters and principles of this site, such as the number and location of homes, open space provision and access points.

"This has enabled us to draw up plans for Oldford Hill which, we believe, will effectively deliver the homes and infrastructure this area so desperately needs and where communities and nature can flourish.

"We're continuing to engage the council, surrounding town and parish councils and the local community on the proposals to understand how a new neighbourhood can support Frome and the future growth of Somerset.

"We're really keen to understand what local people think of our plans, including what they might want to see from a new community space and country park."

Between 2006 and 2024, 1,968 new homes were built in Frome – of which only 420 were affordable, according to Somerset Council's official records.

Representatives of the Save Oldford and Stonebridge campaign group – SOS for short – attended the event on Tuesday afternoon (February 11), handing out pamphlets to those present which urged them to oppose this development.

A spokesman said: "The proposals have not acknowledged or addressed any of the obvious safety issues and traffic congestion issues this plan could cause for residents of the area.

"Residents of the nearby Stonebridge estate would definitely experience greatly increased vehicular traffic through their neighbourhood.

"Frome's schools, doctors' surgeries, dentists, chemists and roads already seem to be at or above capacity, and many local residents already struggle to consistently access vital services.

"With so many other development also planned around the perimeter of Frome, the combined population and traffic increases will not be trivial."

Frome's southern edge is already seeing significant housing growth, with Curo delivering 198 homes and commercial premises at the Keyford Meadows site on Sandys Hill Lane.

Three separate development sites are also being delivered either side of the B3092 The Mount, with Wain Homes constructing 70 homes at its Keyford on the Green site and David Wilson Homes delivering 226 homes at Francis Fields immediately to the south (with the prospect of a further 140 homes being approved in the near-future).

Plans for a further 1,700 homes between these sites and the A361 (known as the Selwood Garden Community) are currently being considered by central government, with a final ruling being expected in the summer.

On top of all this, Mayday Saxonvale will be delivering 263 new homes (along with commercial space and other facilities) on the Saxonvale site in the town centre, after Somerset Council's executive committee agreed to sell the site by March 31.

SOS campaigners said that building at Oldford Hill on top of these commitments would damage the environment beyond repair and increase the risk of localised flooding.

A spokesman said: "This landscape is a haven of important habitats for diverse wildlife.

"Developing it into a park intended primarily for human use would bring disruptively large numbers of people unnecessarily into what is now a rare refuge for a myriad of animal and insect life.

"Oldford (the clue is in the name) already faces serious issues with flooding whenever there is significant rainfall. When land is paved over and built on, it can no longer absorb rainwater.

"This plan is extremely ill-considered, potentially very damaging to the local environment, with no clear benefits – but many clear detriments – to residents of Oldford."

Barwood Land intends to submit an outline planning application for the development to Somerset Council in the spring, with a view to securing permission by the end of the year.

If this is successful, the promoter will sell the site to a developer, which will in turn bring forward a reserved matters application, detailing the design and layout of the new homes.

If this later application is approved, construction of the new homes could begin by the end of 2026 – with the entire estate being built out by 2033.

To give your views on the initial proposals, or for more information, click here.