The site of a planned 1,700-home garden community on the outskirts of Frome has gone on the market, opening up an opportunity for housebuilders, investors and development partners to bring forward one of Somerset’s largest consented residential schemes.
The Selwood Garden Community is being offered for sale by informal tender following the granting of outline planning permission by the Secretary of State in April 2026. The freehold is being marketed either as a whole or in three principal parts covering the residential development, employment land and a care home gateway building. Initial bids are being invited by 16 September, with a second-round process expected to take place in October.
The consented scheme provides for up to 1,700 homes, including 510 affordable homes, alongside 6.9 hectares of employment land, two care homes providing up to 105 beds and a mixed-use community hub incorporating a new primary school, cafés, a restaurant and convenience store.
The development will also include 36.6 hectares of green infrastructure, with open space, recreation and walking routes forming part of the new community. The site currently consists predominantly of agricultural land, with mature hedgerows, copses and individual properties.
The development has access to the A361 and is around 2.4km from Frome railway station. The Section 106 agreement includes funding for a feasibility study and improvements to the station approach, while the existing No. 30 bus service is planned to be extended into the new community, with new stops and an increased frequency of every 20 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays. Existing public rights of way across the site are also due to be retained and enhanced.
The scheme has taken several years to reach this point. Somerset Council’s planning committee had been minded to refuse the application, before the proposal was considered at a public inquiry following its call-in by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State subsequently granted outline permission on 2 April 2026.
According to the marketing particulars, the site has been structured to allow phased delivery, and the opportunity is aimed towards housebuilders, investors and development partners, with joint bids also invited.
