Plans which could see hundreds of houses and a medical centre being built on the outskirts of Weston have been submitted to North Somerset Council.

Weston Mercury: The proposed development off Bleadon Road. Picture: Sutherland Property and Legal ServicesThe proposed development off Bleadon Road. Picture: Sutherland Property and Legal Services (Image: Sutherland Property and Legal Services)

Sutherland Property and Legal Services (SPLS) has submitted an outline planning application to build 200 houses, a doctors surgery, retail outlets, office space and health centre off Bleadon Road.

The company met with Bleadon villagers to gauge opinion on its original £15million development.

SPLS said: “The initial proposal was for a larger scheme and included the provision of a primary school to serve the village. However, the community engagement process demonstrated [residents] do not want a school within the village but aspired to better health care, retail offer, employment opportunity and highway improvements.

“The masterplan shows how the scheme provides improved highways linkage to the village increasing safety for all villagers, implements a heath care provision, retail offer and employment opportunity.”

Sutherland Property said it would also make changes to the A370 Bridgwater Road which has been a cause for concern for Bleadon residents for some time.

It said: “The parish council is supportive of development which results in community benefits and recognises the benefit of the proposal in terms of the creation of retail, employment and health services as well as enhanced public open space and playing facilities.”

It also hopes the 20 houses will help North Somerset meet its housing needs, as set out in the Site Allocation Plan, despite the land not being listed in the recently adopted plans.

The application has already garnered more than 100 comments from people in the area.

Rachel Booth, who moved to the village with her family of four, said the plans are ‘wildly out of character’.

She added: “We purposefully moved to Bleadon because it is a rural village and we wanted to raise our family in the countryside close to nature and away from the city.

“We moved from Bristol last year due to the overcrowding, noise and general dislike to the city lifestyle. The proposed application is not in keeping with the village and the community.”