Plans for a new orchard near the M5 have been scrapped as homes are built in Creech St. Michael, with alternative phosphate mitigation in place
Creech St. Michael: So, it looks like the plans for that new orchard near the M5 are off the table. Instead, they’re moving ahead with building homes. The developer, West of England Developments, is busy constructing the Coronation Way estate, which will have 28 new homes on Derham Close.
Originally, they wanted to plant an orchard to help separate the houses from the busy motorway and deal with the phosphates from the development. But now, they’ve worked out a different plan with Somerset Council, so no trees will be planted after all.
Since Creech St. Michael is in the River Tone catchment area, any new development has to manage phosphates carefully to protect the local environment. Instead of planting trees, the developer will upgrade some old septic tanks to better handle phosphates before they enter the sewage system.
These upgrades will replace four septic tanks in nearby areas with new treatment plants that can remove phosphates more effectively. A spokesperson for the developer mentioned that the upgrades will more than offset the phosphates from the new homes, so there shouldn’t be any negative impact on the protected Somerset Levels and Moors.
Somerset Council approved this change without a public meeting, which is a bit unusual. They’re also looking at plans for a solar farm on the land between the new homes and the M5, which could be interesting.
