Nearly 80 new homes planned near Somerset secondary school
Proposal could bring dozens of new homes to Castle Cary’s eastern edge
Nearly 80 new homes could be built near a Somerset secondary school if plans are approved in the coming months.
Ansford Academy is located on Maggs Lane at the north-eastern edge of Castle Cary, providing education to around 500 pupils between the ages of 11 and 16 (schools years 7 to 11).
Wyke Farms – a key local employer – has submitted outline plans to build up to 77 homes on the southern side of Maggs Lane, a few hundred yards from the school and adjacent to the Caryford Community Hall.
Somerset Council is expected to make a decision on the proposals by the early-autumn.
This comes as Wyke Farms prepares to sell the site of a planned development of 200 homes near Castle Cary railway station, with a guide price of £10m.
This latest site comprises a L-shaped area south of Maggs Lane, surrounded by Solomon’s Lane and an existing playing field.
Access will be from a new junction onto Maggs Lane opposite the academy’s sports pitches, with the new homes being concentrated in the eastern part of the site.
Pedestrian accesses will be provided onto Solomon’s Lane and the western community field, with new public open space being created at the western edge and to the east of Solomon’s Lane.
Of the 77 homes planned within the site, 27 will be affordable, meeting the council’s target of 35 per cent affordable housing in any new development of ten homes or more within the former South Somerset area.
The new homes will range from one-bedroom flats and bungalows to five-bedroom houses, with the affordable properties being clustered in the centre of the site.
A spokesperson for Roach Planning (representing Wyke Farms) said: “The logical further directions of growth of Ansford and Castle Cary are to the north and/ or east.
“This is partly due to the proximity of the railway station (which itself comprises critical infrastructure, in respect of the capacity for growth in the
settlement) in relation to the northerly direction, but also for topographical and landscape reasons in respect of both directions.
“The settlements of Ansford and Castle Cary together provide the community with primary and secondary education facilities, health services, employment, shops, sport and recreation, public houses, places of worship and a community hall.
“The town centre and other services and amenities are accessible by walking and cycling, as are the railway station and bus stops, which provide connections on the railway main line and bus links to Yeovil, Shepton Mallet and Wincanton.”
The eastern side of Castle Cary has recently seen increased interest from housing developers, with plans for 81 homes on the former BMI site on the A371 Cumnock Road being approved on appeal in August 2024 and revised plans for a further 24 houses on Olympic Drive were given the green light in May 2025.
The new development is expected to make financial contributions towards local schools, playing pitches, changing rooms and other local facilities – with the precise amounts being negotiated with the council’s planning officers.
The council is expected to make a ruling on the proposals within the next six months.