Court to Decide Fate of 765 Yeovil Homes as Judicial Review Proceeds
The fate of a major housing development in Yeovil will be decided by a judge at Bristol Crown Court as a judicial review against the plans moves forward. The Abbey Manor Group secured outline planning permission from Somerset Council in October 2024 for the Up Mudford urban extension north of Primrose Lane, which includes 765 homes, commercial space, a community hub, and an extension to Primrose Lane Primary School.
Legal Agreements and Judicial Review
The legal agreements to deliver the development were finally signed off by the council in mid-July 2024, incorporating a series of walking and cycling improvements to the A359 Mudford Hill and Lyde Road. However, Mudford Parish Council received approval from the High Court in December 2025 to pursue a judicial review against this decision, placing both this estate and a neighbouring development of 252 homes at Sock Hill in uncertainty.
The Friends of Mudford Action Group (FOMAG) has confirmed that the case will be heard at Bristol Crown Court on April 28, 2026. To cover £15,000 in associated legal costs, the group has launched a crowdfunding campaign. As of Wednesday morning, March 11, 2026, the campaign has raised £790, with a goal of reaching £15,000 by July 1, 2026.
Parish Council Concerns
Mudford Parish Council raised several critical issues in its submission to the High Court, highlighting potential risks and impacts of the development:
- Flooding Risk: Mudford already experiences severe flooding, and the parish council alleges 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 available.
- Lack of Affordable Housing: The parish council feels the development does not significantly address the local need for genuinely affordable homes, as the Primrose Lane site only delivers 15% affordable housing, equivalent to 115 properties.
- Insufficient Infrastructure: Concerns include the capacity of local services, pressure on the existing road network, and drainage systems.
- Historic Anthrax Contamination: Part of the Primrose Lane site was used as burial or disposal locations for animals infected with anthrax during the 1950s and 1960s, with the parish council arguing that testing may not have been sufficiently thorough to ensure public safety.
- 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.
Community Response and Crowdfunding
FOMAG chairman James Cary announced the hearing date on the campaign group's official Facebook page on Friday, March 6, 2026. He stated, "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." He added that the group has already pledged £5,000 to Mudford Parish Council to help with legal costs and aims to raise funds to replenish FOMAG's coffers and make further contributions.
Residents can donate to the FOMAG crowdfunding campaign through their GoFundMe page. Mr. Cary encouraged support, saying, "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."
Broader Development Context
The village of Mudford currently comprises 339 homes, meaning the Primrose Lane development and its immediate neighbour could quadruple the parish's population within a decade. In related news, revised plans for the first phase of the Sock Hill development, comprising 109 homes, were submitted by Bloor Homes South West in early December 2025. Somerset Council is expected to determine this application by the summer of 2026, around the time the judicial review result is anticipated.
This judicial review highlights ongoing tensions between development needs and community concerns in Yeovil, with significant implications for local infrastructure, housing affordability, and environmental sustainability.
