A development site for 78 homes on Wookey Hole Road in Wells is on the market. The land, which borders the Mendip Hills National Landscape, is being sold by Greenslade Taylor Hunt, with offers invited by noon on Tuesday, 5 March.

Gladman Developments was initially refused outline planning permission by Somerset Council in 2020 for up to 90 homes. Amended plans, reducing the number to 78 and adding open space, were also turned down in 2024 on grounds the scheme would erode the gap between Wells and Wookey.

However, the Planning Inspectorate overturned this refusal in September 2025 after a public inquiry held in Shepton Mallet.

The 6.8-hectare (16.8-acre) site sits next to the Priory Fields development by Bovis Homes and the former St. Cuthbert's paper mill. It includes two agricultural fields and a third-party land parcel. Vehicular access will be via the north-eastern corner onto Wookey Hole Road, with a pedestrian link to the south connecting to the Strawberry Line path.

32 of the 78 homes are expected to be affordable, in line with Somerset Council's policy for the former Mendip area.

A spokesperson for Greenslade Taylor Hunt said: "The land is currently let via a farm business tenancy, which expires in March 2026. Offers are invited on an unconditional basis for the land. The landowner is particularly keen to hear from interested parties who have a track record in delivering affordable housing."

The site is not subject to the community infrastructure levy (CIL).

Wells lies within the Somerset Levels and Moors catchment, which includes protected Ramsar wetland. New developments must demonstrate no net increase in phosphate discharge. Gladman proposed a drainage scheme linked to Wessex Water's upgrade of the city's treatment plant, due to complete by April 2030.

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Any developer wishing to complete homes before then will need to buy phosphate credits, typically achieved by fallowing farmland elsewhere in the catchment.

A reserved matters application will be required before construction begins, to confirm layout and final design.

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Reporting: LDRS/Daniel Mumby