More than 160 new homes could soon be approved in Castle Cary shortly after the developer made a donation to the town's pre-school.

Persimmon Homes Severn Valley secured outline permission from South Somerset District Council in June 2016 to deliver up to 165 new homes on the B3152 Station Road, with land being set aside within the site for a brand new primary school.

The developer put forward a reserved matters application (detailing the design and layout of the new homes) in June 2019, with the number of planned homes being reduced down to 162 following discussions with planning officers.

As part of its community champions initiative, the developer has now donated £2,000 to the Toybox Pre-School – with Somerset Council expected to make a decision on the revised proposals early in the new year.

The community champions scheme donates £24,000 each year to various community organisations and good causes in the towns and villages where Persimmon is building new homes.

The Toybox Pre-School, located on Maggs Lane, has supported local families by providing care for two- to five-year-olds for more than 20 years.

Persimmon's donation will be used to upgrade the pre-school's current facilities, improving the play setting for children and helping to support more families from the local area.

Carly Spear, sales Director at Persimmon Homes Severn Valley, said: "We are very pleased to be supporting Toybox Pre-School in Castle Cary, who provide vital childcare support to local families.

"We are committed to leaving a lasting positive legacy in the areas where we develop, and we hope that this donation will enable the Pre-School to improve their facilities to better help support local residents across the local community."

Councillor Henry Hobhouse, who represents Castle Cary and the neighbouring villages, commented: "Supporting local community organisations and families is a priority for me and I am grateful that Persimmon Homes share this view.

"Thank you to Persimmon for their kind donation, which will allow Toybox Preschool to support more children and local families in Castle Cary."

Lin Norman from the Toybox Pre-School added: "We are delighted to receive this generous donation from local housebuilder Persimmon Homes.

"It is fantastic to see a prominent business supporting our local community in this way.

"This funding will be used to improve our facilities and help us support more local families across Castle Cary."

The revised proposals for the Station Road site will see 162 homes delivered along a central spine road, which will provide a direct link with Torbay Road.

Of these homes, 57 will be affordable, meeting the council's target of 35 per cent affordable housing for any new development of ten homes or more within the former South Somerset area.

Land for a new primary school (which will be delivered by the council using contributions from numerous local developments) has been reserved at the north-western corner of the site, near a neighbouring development put forward by the Abri housing association.

Land is also been allocated to the south-west for future employment space, enabling an expansion of the existing Torbay Road business park which includes the Crown Pet Foods factory and MWI Animal Health (which secured plans to remodel its existing site in late-August).

The development is one of more than 50 in the former South Somerset district which has been delayed by the ongoing phosphates crisis, with developers needing to secure additional mitigation to prevent any net increase in phosphates on the Somerset Levels and Moors.

To offset the new homes, Persimmon intends to purchase phosphate credits generated by the fallowing of agricultural land elsewhere in the River Brue catchment area – possibly from the Manor Farm site in Prestleigh, near Evercreech.

Castle Cary Town Council has objected to the revised plans, criticising a "lack of public engagement and transparency" on Persimmon's part along with the proposed design of the new houses.

A spokesman said: "The proposed use of reconstituted stone and generic

house designs does not respect Castle Cary's local character and aesthetic.

"These designs are generic and uninspired, resulting in 'cookie-cutter' housing that is inconsistent with the historical and architectural charm of the area.

"The traffic assessment for this development is outdated and fails to consider the cumulative effect of recent approvals for other large-scale developments.

"The increased strain on local roads will compromise safety, especially for pedestrians, and has not been adequately evaluated.

"The latest plans disregard the need for safe pedestrian and cycle routes, particularly along Station Road, which is known to be hazardous for cyclists and pedestrians.

"Given the development's scale, the provision of new pavements, cycle-ways, and traffic calming measures along this route should be prioritised to ensure public safety."

The council has not confirmed how soon the plans could come before its planning committee south for a final decision.