Court to decide fate of 765 Yeovil homes as judicial review proceeds
A major housing development in Yeovil's fate will be decided in a Bristol court next month.
The fate of a major Yeovil housing development will be decided by a judge in Bristol as a judicial review against the plans move forward.
The Abbey Manor Group secured outline planning permission from Somerset Council in October 2024 to deliver the Up Mudford urban extension north of Primrose Lane, comprising 765 homes, commercial space, a community hub and an extension to Primrose Lane Primary School.
The legal agreements to deliver the development were finally signed off by the council in mid-July, including a series of walking and cycling improvements to the A359 Mudford Hill and Lyde Road.
Mudford Parish Council was given the green light by the High Court in December 2025 to pursue a judicial review against the decision, leaving this new estate and a neighbouring development of 252 homes at Sock Hill hanging in the balance.
The Friends of Mudford Action Group (FOMAG) has now confirmed the case will be held at Bristol Crown Court on April 28 – with a crowd-funder being launched to cover £15,000 of associated legal costs.
The village of Mudford currently comprises 339 homes – meaning the Primrose Lane development, and its immediate neighbour, could quadruple the parish’s population within the space of a decade.
The parish council raised the following issues in its submission to the High Court:
Flooding risk: Mudford already experiences “severe flooding”, with the parish council alleging that the planned attenuation ponds at the Primrose Lane site will not be deep enough to slow surface run-off from the new homes
Traffic impacts: the council claims there will be “a substantial rise in vehicle movements on already pressured local roads”, with limited public transport options currently in place
Lack of affordable housing: the parish council feels the development “does not significantly address the local need for genuinely affordable homes” – with the Primrose Lane site only delivering 15 per cent affordable homes (the equivalent of 115 properties)
Insufficient infrastructure: the parish council has concerns about “the capacity of local services”, along with the pressure on the existing road network and drainage systems
Historic anthrax contamination: part of the Primrose Lane site were used as “burial or disposal locations” for animals infected with anthrax during the 1950 and 1960s – with the parish council arguing that testing may not have been “sufficiently thorough” to ensure the public were no longer at risk
Severe landscape change and loss of rural identity: the parish council believes the developments would “transform open countryside into continuous housing, leading to the complete loss of Mudford’s rural character”
FOMAG chairman James Cary confirmed the hearing date on the campaign group’s official Facebook page on Friday (March 6).
He said: “The judicial review will be heard on April 28 in Bristol.
“You will know that judicial reviews are expensive – and it just got real."
“Whatever happens on April 28, the work of FOMAG will need to continue."
“We have already pledged £5,000 to Mudford Parish Council to help with legal costs. And so our immediate goal is to raise that £5,000 to replenish FOMAG’s coffers and, ideally make another contribution.”
Residents can donate to the FOMAG crowd-funding campaign by visiting www.gofundme.com/f/friends-of-mudford-action-group.
The group has raised £790 as of Wednesday morning (March 11th), with the goal being to secure £15,000 by July 1.
Mr Cary added: “Why not be among the first to get this campaign off to a flying start?"
“That way, FOMAG can continue to scrutinise and challenge these enormous planning decisions and make local voices heard.”
Revised plans for the first phase of the Sock Hill development (comprising 109 homes) were put forward by Bloor Homes South West in early-December 2025.
Somerset Council is expected to determine this application by the summer – around the time the judicial review result is anticipated.