Plans for 186 homes in the Garsdale area of Frome have been given the go-ahead.

The Mendip District Council planning board met last week at Selwood School to discuss the Bloor Homes development, which will be situated on a brownfield site between Rivers Reach and Wallbridge.

The full planning application sought to demolish buildings and erect 186 homes and a shop, with vehicular access next to the railway bridge in Wallbridge and at the Garsdale roundabout.

The development will have 41 affordable homes, a play area and parking.

Concerns were raised by Frome Civic Society and residents of the Retreat, who were both concerned about the planning brief not being adhered to by the developers.

John Peverley, speaking on behalf of the society, said he was concerned about the lack of surveillance, lack of trees, little energy conservation in the housing design and lack of mixed use in the development.

He said: "The council's planning brief resulted from a two-year consultation with the community, and Bloor Homes has significantly deviated from this.

"The society made these comments 12 months ago but no changes have been made."

He asked for the decision to be deferred so amendments could be made.

Members of the board also heard from former mayor Martin Bax, a resident of the Retreat, who said he welcomed the inclusion of a pavement along the Retreat side of the road, opposite the planned Wallbridge junction, but said he shared the concerns of the civic society.

Peter Morgan, agent for Bloor Homes, said the application included a range of sustainable materials and a recycling and composting site, and said the company had gone above and beyond the building regulations on the development.

He added that the application was flexible and was subject to variation.

A sustainable travel voucher of between £100 and £250 would be given to each home for up to five years from first occupation, which was a requirement of the highways authority.

Councillors were concerned about the private housing not being as sustainable as the affordable housing and Cllr Damon Hooton(Lib Dem, Frome Park) asked for the affordable housing to be increased from 22 to 40 per cent.

The council voted unanimously for the application to be approved, with additional conditions.

These included private housing being at the same level of sustainability as the affordable homes and that the street scene, trees and surveillance issues be resolved.

A working party of councillors was elected to work with the developers and planning officer Les Kimberley.