Revised plans to build homes on a brownfield site in Frome have been put forward following consultation with town councillors.

Persimmon Homes South West applied in February 2021 to build 25 homes on the former Cuprinol factory site off Adderwell Road on the eastern edge of the town.

Concerns were raised by town councillors and Mendip District Council's planning officers how suitable the site was for development and how the risk of flooding would be mitigated.

The developer has now put forward amended plans to address these concerns, with a final decision being expected before Christmas.

The site is adjacent to the Old Printworks development (being delivered by the Acorn Property Group) comprising 159 homes on the former Butler, Tanner and Dennis Printworks site.

Of the 25 new homes proposed for the site, eight will be affordable, with the majority of these being social or affordable rent.

Under the new plans, the proposed attenuation pond has been replaced by underground water storage, with the relevant area being given over to "usable informal landscaped open space".

This area will include fruit trees to "provide a sense of community" for the new residents, and the new homes will each be equipped with air source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points.

The new plans were presented to Frome town councillors on June 28, with a spokesman for Persimmon Homes stating the reception had been "overwhelmingly positive".

However, it has not been possible to deliver a pedestrian access directly from the site to Caxton Road due to the retaining wall which separates the two sites.

Instead, those wishing to walk from the Persimmon site to the Old Printworks – and use the latter's boardwalk along the River Frome to reach the town centre – will have to walk around the former site, adding 200 metres to their journey.

The spokesman said: "This is considered suitable and was discussed with the town council planners at the meeting [on June 28], who raised no objection and acknowledged the constraints.

"It is considered that the submitted revisions provides a scheme that suitably responds to its surrounding and provides an opportunity to redevelop a redundant brownfield in a sustainable location."

The Somerset Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) has ruled that a contribution of only £14,500 will be needed from the new development, arguing that existing doctors' surgeries in eastern Frome can easily absorb new patients.

Commercial support manager Hannah O'Neill said: "The GP surgeries within the catchment area that this application would affect currently have sufficient infrastructure capacity to absorb the population increase that this potential development would generate.

"Should there be any change to this position, as a result of any current planning applications that may or may not affect the capacity at Frome Medical Practice and Fromefield Surgery being approved prior to a final decision on this particular development, then the NHS position could change."

Frome Town Council's planning committee will meet at Frome Town Hall to discuss the revised proposals on Thursday (September 1) at 7pm.

The district council is expected to make a final decision on the plans before the end of the year.