Evidence of a settlement believed to date back to the Iron Age has been found on a site earmarked for 50 homes.
The Mercury reported in July developer Lovell’s proposals for a £15million development called Keepers Gate, located on the edge of Weston’s Oldmixon estate in Wentwood Drive.
MORE: £15m Keepers Gate development will create dozens of homes in Weston.
The two-year construction programme is set to start this winter, and the first homes will go on sale next year.
But an archaeological investigation was recently completed, with experts finding evidence of an Iron Age or Roman settlement and post-medieval quarrying on the site.
A Lovell spokesman confirmed the discovery will not affect the programme of work.
They said: “There has been no delay regarding this scheme and we’re on schedule to start construction early in 2019 on the housing development.
“We’ll be carrying out work in the next few months on the infrastructure, roads and drainage needed before we can start building the homes.
“An archaeological investigation of the site was carried out and found evidence of a Romano-British settlement as well as post-medieval quarrying.
“The archaeological investigation has been fully completed and there will not be any impact on when we start construction.”
The site’s future has been an on-going issue for a number of years after developer Coldharbour Land Ltd applied to North Somerset Council for planning permission to build 60 houses off Wentwood Drive in 2015.
The application attracted hundreds of objections including from Weston Town Council, which said it was concerned the development would fill the space between Bleadon and Weston, damaging their ‘separate identities’.
The subsequent plan was reduced to 50 houses and North Somerset Council officers subsequently recommended the plans for approval.
Thirty five three and four-bedroom homes will be for open market sale while 15 two, three and four-bedroom homes will be affordable properties from Liverty, the South West’s largest housing association.
Lovell stated the homes will appeal to a range of purchasers, including first-time buyers, downsizers and families looking to upsize.
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