Planners back North Somerset's first build-to-rent scheme: 45 flats off Winterstoke Road, 9 at cheaper rents. Councillors decide on Wednesday 14 October.
Council planners are recommending approval for 45 rented flats on empty land between Bridge Road and Winterstoke Road in Weston-super-Mare. Officers describe it as the first private build-to-rent scheme in North Somerset.
The Planning and Regulatory Committee decides on Wednesday 14 October at 2.30pm, in the New Council Chamber at the Town Hall. Ward councillor Ian Parker referred the application to the committee, so it will be debated in public rather than decided by officers.
The same meeting will also decide a retrospective application for earth mounds already built at Drove Road recreation ground. Officers recommend approving that one too, despite 23 objections.
What the flats scheme includes
The application, 26/P/0124/FUL, is from WSM Winterstoke Road Ltd. The officer report sets out:
- two buildings of four to five storeys
- 20 one-bedroom and 25 two-bedroom flats, all for rent
- 44 parking spaces, four of them Blue Badge bays, in an undercroft car park
- vehicle access from Bridge Road
- a new walking and cycling entrance from the A370 Winterstoke Road
Build to rent means the whole block is built to be rented out and run by one landlord, rather than sold off flat by flat. The site has been empty since a temporary gym on it was demolished in 2015. It is already allocated for 45 homes in the council’s site allocations plan.
The plans were cut in height by a metre after officers raised concerns. The report says the buildings would still be “noticeably greater” in scale than their neighbours, which it accepts because the site is close to the station.
Nine homes at cheaper rents, not the usual 30%
Nine of the 45 flats, 20%, would be affordable. They would be let at rents at least 20% below market rents, including service charges.
That is less than the 30% the council’s current policy sets as a starting point. Officers accept 20% because the draft Local Plan asks for 20% on previously developed land, and because national guidance on build to rent uses the same benchmark. The report also says the council has a “strong preference” for social rent, but that national rules point to discounted market rent for this type of scheme.
What the developer would pay for
If the committee approves, the permission would follow a legal agreement. The report lists these payments:
- £45,000 for walking and cycling improvements, including the route along Winterstoke Road
- £40,000 for better bus stops
- £8,100 for bus and cycle vouchers for residents
- £5,499 enabling fee for the affordable homes
- £4,800 to monitor the travel plan
- £3,500 for a traffic order on Bridge Road
- £2,800 to monitor the agreement
- £1,500 for a new fire hydrant
That comes to £111,199. The developer would also provide 662 square metres of open space and a 110 square metre play area on site. Education officers asked for no school contribution, and a scheme this size does not trigger a request for a new GP surgery, the report says.
What objectors said
The council received 26 letters of objection and three further comments. The main objections listed in the report were:
- traffic, and access from Bridge Road rather than Winterstoke Road
- too little parking under the council’s own standards
- the height and density of the buildings
- loss of light and privacy for neighbours
- flood risk and drainage
- pressure on GPs and schools
Parking is the sharpest point. The scheme provides 44 spaces, which the report accepts is below the council’s parking standards. Officers say the site is close to the station and that 2021 Census figures show fewer than one car per flat in the area, so a 45% reduction is acceptable.
Weston-super-Mare Town Council supported the scheme in March “due to local housing needs and demands”. The Environment Agency withdrew its objection once the developer confirmed floor levels, as the site is in flood zone 3. Avon and Somerset Police had no objection after secure parking and 1.8m railings around the residents’ garden were added.
Drove Road recreation ground mounds
The second Weston item, 26/P/0908/FUL, is for shallow grass mounds between the sports pitches south-east of the rugby club. The applicant is Atlas Hive Weston Ltd.
The officer report says the earthworks were done before permission was granted. The soil came from the former car park on the neighbouring redevelopment site, approved in 2022. Earlier site investigations there found asbestos fibres and PAHs, a group of chemicals linked to tar, and possible coal tar in the old tarmac.
All 23 representations were objections. They included contamination, the height of the bunds, privacy, safety and the works starting without permission. The town council was neutral but asked for the mounds to be lower.
Officers say there is “some doubt” about whether the material is inert. They recommend approval with a condition to test the bunds and clean them up if needed. The Environment Agency and the council’s environmental protection team did not object.
A third mound area, behind homes on Addicott Road, was dropped from the application. The report says that material has no permission, and the council may consider enforcement if it is not removed voluntarily.
Also on the agenda
- Nailsea: two detached self-build homes on a plot in Leighwood Drive, recommended for approval.
- Clevedon: a new vehicle access track and gate at a house on Highdale Road, recommended for refusal.
What it means for you
- You can watch or speak. Requests to speak must reach the council in writing by noon on Tuesday 13 October, the day before. Objectors and supporters get four minutes each per application. Contact details are on the meeting page.
- Recommendations are not decisions. Councillors can go against the officers’ advice.
- If you rent in Weston, this would be a new type of landlord in the town: one company letting and managing every flat in the block.
We will report the outcome. More applications across the district are on our North Somerset planning news page.
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