More than 200 homes will be built on the edge of Wellington – nearly three years on from the plans originally being refused.

Taunton Deane Borough Council voted in April 2017 against plans by Gladman Developments to build 205 houses and a 60-bed care home on land west of Bagley Road in Rockwell Green.

The developer won a protracted appeal against the council in July 2018, before selling the site on to fellow developer Bovis Homes.

Somerset West and Taunton Council (which replaced the borough council in April 2019) has now indicated the homes can finally be built – but without the care home originally promised.

The plans were approved by the council’s planning committee at a lengthy meeting held in Taunton on Thursday (January 30).

Of the 205 homes planned for the site, 51 will be affordable – comprising nine one-bedroom flats, 21 two-bedroom houses and 21 three-bedroom houses.

The remaining 154 homes will all be sold at market value, and will be a mixture of three-, four- and five-bedroom houses.

Access from the site will be via two junctions on Exeter Road, which joins the busy A38 at a roundabout at the south-west corner of the site.

Planning officer Jeremy Guise said the land set aside for the care home in the outline plans would not be brought forward for this use.

He said in his written report: “The 60-bed care home site, that formed part of the original outline planning permission, has been excluded from the reserved matters application.

“The site is understood to have been marketed for this use, without success, to date.”

A spokesman for Pegasus Planning – which is representing Bovis Homes –  indicated in June 2019 that this section of the Bagley Road site could be filled with more homes if no care provider could be secured.

The spokesman said: “It is therefore their [Bovis’] intention to submit a full planning application for around 18 dwellings on that site.”

Mr Guise recommended the committee to approve the plans, despite admitting the residents of the new development would struggle to access decent public transport.

He said: “Public transport – notwithstanding the developer’s contribution towards the provision of a new bus stop, is limited and local facilities are appropriate to a village community.

“For the foreseeable future, residents are likely to maintain some reliance on their cars.

“This development would make a significant contribution towards meeting housing needs in Wellington and the wider district council area.”

The committee voted to approve the plans. Bovis Homes has not indicated how soon it intends to begin construction.