A patch of green space on a Shepton Mallet estate once meant to house a school could soon be home to nine new bungalows.

Plans have been submitted to Somerset Council to build the properties on nearly half a hectare of grassland off Starling Way, part of the Tadley Acres development.

The land was originally set aside for a primary school as part of the original 360-home Tadley Acres scheme approved back in 1993.

But more than 30 years later, no school has materialised — and now developers say it never will.

Planning consultants de Courcy, writing on behalf of the applicant, said the site is now considered too small for a modern school, with a new 210-place primary and nursery planned instead for land west of Cannards Grave Road.

Locals were consulted in 2022, with concerns raised over traffic congestion in Starling Way and the need to protect open space for residents on the estate. In response, the developers say they've tweaked the plans to allow more on-site parking — and promised to hand over the remaining green space to the local community.

Under the proposal, the open land would be transferred to the Tadley Acres Village Community Association (TAVCA) or another public body, with five years' worth of maintenance costs covered.

The application claims the scheme will "make a significant contribution to housing land supply" and provide long-term public open space "for the benefit of the community in perpetuity".

The nine single-storey homes are laid out around a central access road and would include extra spaces for visitor and community parking.

Anyone who wants to view or comment on the application can visit the Somerset Council website and search reference 2025/0452/OUT.