A major new development near the M5 could create “a ghetto at the end of a cul-de-sac” without proper infrastructure, a Somerset councillor has warned.

Sedgemoor District Council has approved the design principles which will cover the deliver of hundreds of new homes on the Bridgwater Gateway site, which lies on the A38 Taunton Road not far from Junction 24 of the motorway.

Councillor Bill Revans, who leads the Liberal Democrat opposition group, warned councillors on Wednesday (March 30) that the new homes would be isolated from the rest of Bridgwater unless new schools could be delivered quickly and all roads leading to and from the homes were formally adopted.

Other opposition councillors also raised doubts whether the council could hold any developer who took on the site to account, citing issues with ongoing sites on the town’s western edge.

The Bridgwater Gateway site is allocated within the council’s Local Plan for around 400 homes, along with six hectares of employment land and “other appropriate ancillary uses” (such as care homes or shops).

The site lies near the Willstock and Stockmoor Village urban extensions,  which have already been largely completed, and lies within the neighbouring parish of North Petherton.

Phase one of the Gateway site has already seen some progress, with the land currently containing a Premier Inn, a Costa Coffee branch and several employment units.

BoKlok Housing Ltd submitted an initial inquiry (known as a screening option) in November 2021 into building 500 new homes within phase two, along with further employment units and a 66-bed care home.

Under the new design principles (which will shape how future planning applications for the site are determined), BoKlok is expected to deliver the bulk of the site, with further commercial development being planned near the existing phase one units and a separate housing developer bringing forward the remaining land at the western edge of the site.

Mr Revans, who represents North Petherton on both the county and district councils, made his feelings clear at a full council meeting held in Bridgwater on Wednesday afternoon (March 30).

He said: “I’m very concerned about the sufficiency of school places. In the locality we have outline permission for Willstock School secured, but it is not in the capital programme of Somerset County Council.

“We have five active building sites in North Petherton at the moment, including the last phase of Willstock – and now we have Boklok, and they go up up quicker than Persimmon do, that’s their unique selling point.

“Please can we make sure that we’ve got a sufficiency of education places, because this is heading to a real logjam.

“We’re very aware that the phosphates issue isn’t affecting development across Somerset – everywhere else it’s stalled, here they’re slamming the accelerator down. We need to make sure we keep the infrastructure ahead of the game.”

Thousands of new homes in Somerset have been significantly delayed in the aftermath of the Dutch N court ruling, which raised concerns over the levels of phosphates on the Somerset Levels and Moors.

While all four Somerset districts have been affected by the phosphates issue, the majority of Sedgemoor lies outside of the Levels and Moors catchment area – meaning large developments can still be approved without the need for additional mitigation.

Mr Revans also warned that the new houses would become isolated from the rest of Bridgwater if the new roads leading through the commercial area were not formally adopted (i.e. maintained by the county council rather than through a private company).

He said: “The policy of the county council is not to adopt roads that are going to be commercial in nature (i.e. industrial sites), so they were not anticipating adopting the Bridgwater Gateway Phase 1 roads there.

“I know they are of a national standard, they’re good quality – but if those roads aren’t adopted and there is no connection from there onto Willstock Way, that would mean roads on the residential part could not be adopted.

“We need to make sure these roads are adoptable so there is not a future liability on the residents who purchase homes on this development – I’m really concerned about that.

“This site needs to connect through to Willstock Village and through to Stockmoor much better than it does at the moment. I have a fear that it will be a ghetto at the end of a cul-de-sac, and I really think we’re missing an opportunity here.”

Councillor Gill Slocombe, portfolio holder for inward investment and growth, said officers from the district and county council were meeting every six weeks to ensure there would be sufficient school places in the years ahead.

She added: “This is about the design principles. We always need roads of adoptable standard, and this gives you the opportunity as ward councillors to have your say on what you want.

“There will be plenty of opportunity at the planning stage, I can assure you of that, and all your points are going be taken on board.”

Council leader Duncan McGinty added: “Without adopting these design principles, our ability to influence the development as it comes forward will be greatly diminished and [that will] put us really on the back foot.”

Councillor Brian Smedley, who leads the Labour opposition group, questioned how well the council could secure the best use of the site given what he perceived as a poor record of holding developers to account.

He said: “One thing that this council won’t be missed for is its various controversial planning decisions and failure to enforce various agreements they’ve put through in the past.

“If people look at Quantock Road at the moment and the state of the development there, where far more greenery has been taken out than was agreed – the lack of enforcement on the developers there is criminal.

“I wouldn’t be very keen on supporting this until we have assurances that the council is going to take decisive action in areas where it says it will.”

Two separate major developments have already been approved for the A39 Quantock Road on the town’s western edge – a scheme from Cavanna Homes (South West Ltd) and Martin Grant Homes on the northern side (comprising 675 houses, a primary school and a community centre) and a Persimmon Homes scheme on the southern side (totalling 354 houses).

Ms Slocombe – whose Bridgwater Wyndham ward includes both sites – responded: “We have already been on top of the fact  that lots of trees have been removed, and we are already in [talks] with the developers to actually discuss what can and cannot be done.

“I think that is a separate issue at the moment, but I can assure you that my fellow councillors and I will stay on top of that. We will report back to the full council when we’ve got some answers.”

After a short debate, the full council voted to approve the Bridgwater Gateway master-plan – though a large number of opposition councillors either voted against it or abstained from the vote.