Over 30 per cent will be affordable homes
The Prince of Wales(Image: PA)
Prince William’s estate plans to build over 600 homes, a new school, and a care home in Somerset, and they are set to be approved.
The Duchy of Cornwall and housing developer C G Fry and Son Ltd plan to build 620 homes and a primary school on the Mid Somerset Showground in Shepton Mallet, which is owned by the Duchy.
The BBC reports that Somerset Council approved the application in September 2025 but councillors are due to vote on Tuesday (January 6) to make sure potential river pollution is mitigated.
The Dutch N court ruling blocked 12,000 homes from being built across Somerset because of concerns of high levels of phosphate in water on Somerset Levels and Moors.
According to the BBC, the applicants first bid to build the homes in July 2018 and were given outline permission last year, but a separate application to approve the scale, layout, appearance, and landscaping of the development is expected to be submitted this year.
If approved, the construction of the new homes could begin in 2027.
SomersetLive has previously reported that the Dutch N court ruling outlaws any developments which increase either phosphate or nitrate levels within Ramsar sites – that is, wetlands or other low-lying areas which are protected under international law.
Phosphates can enter rivers and other watercourses through a number of methods, ranging from fertiliser and animal waste being washed off farmland to human sewage.
Large quantities of phosphates in rivers and lakes can cause eutrophication and large algae blooms, which can deprive plants and animals living in these habitats of oxygen.
Both Somerset Council and private companies have also created ‘phosphate credit’ schemes, whereby the developer will pay for off-site mitigation to offset the impact of new homes – at an average cost of around £34,000 to remove one kilogram of phosphates.
On top of this, the council secured £9.6m in central government grants in December 2023 to fund several projects designed to deliver further mitigation.
The BBC reports that when the application was being considered in September 2025, it was decided the applicants needed to prove they bought enough credits to mitigate pollution levels in the Somerset Levels, under a process called a Reservation Notice, in order for the development to go ahead.
But since the approval in September, the council said credits have become “more readily available” – so the Reservation Notice is no longer required.
The BBC reported that instead, the conditions are being changed to ensure the applicants assess the development’s nutrient neutrality and tell the council how they will mitigate phosphate levels.
According to the planning application, the Duchy plans to build a development of a new mixed-use neighbourhood comprising of up to 620 dwellings, a care home provision, land for a new primary school and nursery, and a new local centre.
In the minutes of a meeting of Somerset Council’s planning committee, it was stated that: “This application sought outline planning permission for a residential-led mixed use new neighbourhood of up to 620 new dwellings (including 30 per cent affordable) on land at Cannard’s Grave Road, Shepton Mallet.
“It was proposed to provide a primary school, a care home, a local centre comprising of non-residential uses such as a convenience store or small scale office use and areas of public open space to include play provision and a community orchard.
“The application included a surface water management and sustainable drainage system with attenuation swales and basins and a number of on and off-site active travel measures.”
Concerns were raised during the meeting, which included concerns of flooding and drainage, the number of homes proposed, and the distance of the proposed school and care home site to the main road.
Despite concerns raised, it was stated in the committee meeting minutes: “On the whole, members welcomed the application which had no formal objections”.