PLANS to build 208 homes on the edge of Keynsham are set to be decided next week.

Housing association Curo acquired 10.86 hectares of fields on the eastern edge of the town in summer 2023 to build an “accessible and vibrant neighbourhood”.

The fields already have outline planning permission for approximately 213 homes, meaning the principle of building there has already been accepted.

Now Bath and North East Somerset Council’s planning committee is set to decide whether to grant Curo the “reserved matters” planning permission so it can start building the homes. Officers at the council are recommending that it be granted.

A statement submitted along with the planning application said: “The approved development of this site forms a natural growth of Keynsham, it sits alongside and has close links to the already partially completed neighbouring development of Hygge Park to the west.”

The site runs from the A4 Bath Road down to, and along the side of, the Manor Road Community Woodland. The statement said: “The site is generally grassland with areas of significant vegetation, with hedges on all boundaries and some running north to south across the site and the most significant running east/west across the middle of the site.”

Curo plans to build 40 flats and 168 houses on the site. 47 of the homes will be available for social rent and 15 for shared ownership. Plans for a new junction on Bath Road have already been approved along with the outline planning permission. 

The southern portion of the site lies in the green belt, but no homes are planned there. Instead Curo plans to use this area for a new playing field, allotments, and an orchard.

The council’s planning officers said: “It is considered that the grass pitch area will preserve the openness of the green belt in this location as it will still appear as an open grassed area, with a footpath surrounding which will not impact upon openness. Footpaths are a common occurrence in open green belt land.”

The outline planning permission was granted in 2022 after a four year planning battle between the council and developers Mctaggart and Mickel, before the land was then acquired by Curo.

Bath and North East Somerset Council will consider the plans at their meeting at 11am on November 20 in the Brunswick Room in Bath Guildhall.