Nearly 200 new homes could be built on the edge of Midsomer Norton if plans are approved in the coming months.

Persimmon Homes Wessex has put forward proposals for a new development of 190 homes on the east side of the A367 Fosseway South at the edge of Midsomer Norton.

The Malmesbury-based developer believes the new homes will compliment the existing character of the town and encourage sustainable travel towards work and school.

Mendip District Council is expected to make a ruling on the proposals later in the year.

The site lies to the south of the existing homes on Fossefield Road, a short distance from St Benedict's Catholic Primary School.

The access onto the A367 will be sited opposite the two existing entrances to Beauchamp Avenue, with a pedestrian access also being provided south to link up with the B3139, which connects the town to the city of Wells.

A new play area will be provided in the centre of the site, along with an attenuation pond to allow surface water to drain away at a sustainable rate.

Of the 190 two-, three- and four-bedroom homes being proposed, 57 will be affordable – meeting the council's target for 30 per cent affordable homes for any new development of ten houses or more.

A spokesman for Urban Design Box (representing the developer) said: "Landscape proposals will provide an attractive setting for the scheme and have been designed with biodiversity enhancement in mind.

"The scheme will deliver a number of wider benefits for both the future and the existing local community, which will include: support for and convenient access to shops, services and facilities; access to open space for leisure and recreation, including a children's play space and natural green space; and housing a short distance from existing sustainable transport options."

While Midsomer Norton itself lies within the remit of Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES), the development site and others close by form part of the neighbouring Mendip district.

The site is one of three identified within Mendip's Local Plan Part II (which was formally adopted by councillors in December 2021) to help meet Midsomer Norton's housing needs up to 2029.

Proposals for 270 homes on the opposite side of the A367 – near the White Post Inn – were submitted by Waddeton Park Ltd. in late-August 2021.

The third allocated site, west of Orchard Vale, could provide up to 58 homes, with Curo Enterprise Ltd. expected to submit formal plans later in the spring.

The Planning Inspectorate is also expected to shortly make a ruling on plans for a further 75 homes on Beauchamps Drive, south of the White Post Inn, following a public inquiry in late-February.

The villages around Midsomer Norton have seen significant interest from developers outside of the sites allocated by the respective councils.

BANES recently refused plans for 255 homes on Old Road in Writhington, near Radstock, dubbing Gladman Developments' proposals "excessive" and "disproportionate" to the local area.

On the Mendip side of the border, Gladman recently lost an appeal over 95 homes on the B3356 Naish's Cross in Chilcompton, with the planning inspector ruling in February that the homes would cause "significant harm" to the village.

Mendip District Council is expected to make a ruling on the Fosseway South plans by the summer.