New North Petherton GP surgery may not be built until at least 2027
Concerns raised as housing growth outpaces delivery of vital health infrastructure in North Petherton
Hundreds of additional homes could be built in a growing Somerset town near the M5 before its new doctors’ surgery can be delivered.
Somerset Council is currently considering plans to deliver a new medical centre in North Petherton, as part of a proposed development of 64 homes, a scout hut and a cricket pitch east of the A38 Taunton Road.
The council is expected to make a decision on the outline proposals by the early-summer, which would allow construction on the new homes to begin before the end of the year.
But approval of the medical centre will require a further application to be approved – meaning it may not start to see the light of day until at least 2027.
This means that hundreds of additional patients could be relying on the existing surgery on Church Walk as further housing is approved and delivered to the south.
The existing North Petherton Surgery was one of 14 GP surgeries which Somerset health bosses identified back in September 2020 would need to either expand or relocate in light of local housing growth.
The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust installed two Portakabins in the surgery grounds to provide additional capacity – one in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic, and one in early-2024.
The council granted permission in July 2024 that these temporary structures could remain in place until July 2029 if needed.
Land for the new medical centre has been set aside by West of England Developments (Taunton) Ltd. within the Taunton Road development site, which lies at the northern end of North Petherton opposite the Carrots Farm estate (recently completed by Summerfield Developments) and near tthe planned access to a major solar farm on the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal.
While the West Buckland-based developer will be responsible for delivering the new homes if approval is granted, the medical centre will be built by the NHS Somerset integrated care board (ICB), funded by contributions from local housing developments.
Neither the ICB nor Somerset Council has confirmed how much funding has already been pooled from developments to deliver the new surgery – with the latter stating that any such decisions would form part of the ongoing planning process.
A spokesperson said: “If the application is considered to be acceptable, the delivery of the infrastructure would be secured through an appropriate legal agreement.
“Any agreement between the developer and the ICB will be managed outside of the planning process.
“The legal agreement will not be instructed until we have concluded our consideration of the application.
“It is usual that contracts or land deals await the determination of the application to ensure that the proposal can be delivered.
“Information regarding infrastructure funding is confirmed during the application process, and has not yet been confirmed for this case.”
Three major housing developments have recently been delivered at the southern end of North Petherton, drastically reducing the green wedge between the town and its rugby club.
Three connected estates, with a combined total of 235 homes, have been delivered between the A38 and Newton Road, comprising:
130 homes on the Royal View estate (delivered by Barratt Homes)
72 homes on the Chaucer’s Meadow estate (delivered by Persimmon Homes Severn Valley)
33 homes on the Batts Meadow estate (delivered by West of England Developments (Taunton) Ltd.)
At the northern end of the parish, up to 511 homes will be delivered in the coming years within the Bridgwater Gateway site, with Keepmoat Homes, LiveWest and Vistry seeking to construct the properties north of the commercial premises off Compass Avenue (near junction 24 of the M5).
In addition to these developments, numerous sites are at various stages of consultation, with developers seeking to capitalise on increased government housing targets, the council’s lack of a five-year housing land supply, and the demand for local housing in light of both Hinkley Point C and the new ‘gigafactory’ planned nearby.
Bloor Homes South West teased plans in December 2025 for 140 new homes on Dancing Hill at the north-western corner of the town – plans which include a significant realignment of High Street in a bid to offset any congestion from the new homes.
Land promoter North Petherton LVA LLP published proposals in May 2025 for 175 either side of Daws Lane to the west of the A38, not far from where Agri Fruit Ltd. is based.
Finally, Gladman Developments has put forward plans for 190 homes between Newton Road and the M5, hoping to succeed in securing permission where Persimmon failed back in 2017.
If all three developments are approved by the end of 2026, North Petherton will see an additional 505 homes in the ensuing years – many of which will be completed and occupied before the new doctors’ surgery is open.
The council said that no date had been set for the GP surgery plans to come before its planning committee north, which handles major applications within the former Sedgemoor area.
It also declined to specify how many homes within the proposed site would have to be built and occupied before the GP surgery had to be constructed.
A spokesperson said: “Triggers for delivery of the infrastructure is usually agreed through negotiation as part of the Section 106 agreement. This information is not currently available.”