FAQ

Each month an update is developed to tell you what to expect on site, providing an accurate and real-time update on how Orchard Grove is progressing. You can read these on our news page and see the how the project is developing on our YouTube channel.

If you are interested in buying a new home in this new community, you can make an appointment to come and see them for yourself. There are Bovis Homes, Linden Homes and Taylor Wimpey sales offices and show homes on site. The teams can also provide information on homeownership support, such as part ownership and military assistance schemes.

Afforable homes are also available at Orchard Grove. Vistry Group is working on this project as a joint venture with LiveWest, the leading South West housing association that owns and manages over 40,000 homes across the region. In addition, Taylor Wimpey offers a shared ownership scheme, powered by Home Stepper. Visit our New Homes page for more information.

Affordable housing refers to shared equity and shared ownership schemes, as well as social rented housing.

At Orchard Grove, Vistry Group is working on this project as a joint venture with LiveWest, the leading South West housing association that owns and manages over 40,000 homes across the region. You can register interest in the Shared Ownership homes at Orchard Grove by calling LiveWest on 0800 027 9801 or by emailing newhomes@livewest.co.uk

Taylor Wimpey offers shared ownership, powered by Home Stepper. Take a look at the ways to get onto the housing ladder at Orchard Grove on our New Homes page.

Orchard Grove Primary School is expected to welcome staff and students from September 2024. Sponsored by Castle Partnership Trust, the School will offer places to 420 pupils from Reception to year 6, as well as 52 nursery places and feature three sports pitches, a production kitchen and a library. It will serve the surrounding communities and the design allows for an extension to accommodate a further 210 children if these are needed in the future.

A park and bus service will be established to link in with the existing bus network, providing a regular connection to Taunton and the surround area. It will have provision for 300 vehicles to be parked, to enable people to make use of public transport. The bus route is also expected to extend through the length of the new development, allowing ease of access for residents.

The development of the park and bus facility is currently at tender stage, ahead of work starting. 

Commercial land is available within Orchard Grove, including ‘Comeytrowe Business Park’, which is located at the entrance to the new development just off the A38. This will be one of the next elements of the site to be developed.

Comeytrowe Business Park will provide a variety of options from land deals to a full designed to suit service on a freehold or leasehold basis. Buildings will be built to a specification, which includes the latest sustainability aspects.

With units available from 2,750 sq ft and plots from 1.22 acres, open to a wide variety of uses, this new commercial space offers flexibility and potential. The commercial agent is Alder King and more information and viewings are available. Visit the dedicated website to find out more: www.comeytrowebusinesspark.co.uk

Yes, there will be shops within the ‘local centre’. A local centre is land specifically designated for a variety of shopping, commercial and community services for residents. The local centre will be built either side of the spine road, within the Western neighbourhood.

The process is currently underway to source and secure a commercial operator to create the local centre. It isn’t possible to confirm precisely what types or brands of shops, hospitality or leisure facilities might be part of the local centre yet.

There is a local centre in Orchard Grove and this will include a community facility within it, however there is no obligation to have health centre/GP as part of this. Introducing a healthcare facility or GP practice would be a decision made by the Local Authorities and NHS England.

Yes, there will be allotments at Orchard Grove. These are still some time away from being available, so to make sure the process of securing a plot is fair to both current and future residents, a registration system will be announced when they are set to open. When the decisions are made on how the allotments will be managed, how plots will be allocated, and how to register interest – this will be communicated to the community.

Orchard Grove will consist of two neighbourhoods. The Western neighbourhood is under construction and has already welcomed hundreds of residents. The Eastern neighbourhood is still in the very early stages of planning, as its design guide is finalised. Key features of the Eastern neighbourhood include more new homes, multiple areas of parkland, sports pitches, and a new junction connecting the community to Trull.

Every effort will be made to minimise the impact of the building process on residents. Homes will be built within ‘parcels’, which means residential areas will be completed in segments, allowing the construction work to move on and away from newly built homes.

A detailed Construction Environmental Management Plan is submitted by the developers and approved by the Local Authority for each reserved matters planning application, which will show how work will take place in a way that gives ample consideration to those living in the area. 

Respecting, protecting and enhancing the environment is central to the vision of the development. Ecological measures are taken to safeguard wildlife and the natural environment. EAD Ecology is the South West’s leading provider of ecological solutions for design, planning and management projects, and is responsible for ecology on site.

This website is central to keeping everyone updated with news and progress – a monthly ‘what’s happening on site’ is published. Please note that while every effort is made to ensure information is correct at the time of being published, timings may be subject to change.

In addition, the developers are committed to liaising with the Local Authorities to ensure everyone is updated on important issues, made aware of planning applications, and has the opportunity to ask questions. 

The development requires a pumping station, which is a facility that safely transfers foul drainage away from the site. The pumping station has now been built and the majority of the facility is located underground, with only a minimal amount visible at ground level (including a kiosk containing the controls equipment and fencing, which is screened with plants).

It has been designed in accordance with national design guidance to ensure it is reliable and of the highest quality. Modern technology has been harnessed to deal with waste in a safe way that has no impact on the local environmental outside of the facility. The design features ensure that odour and noise are not an issue, with data automatically transmitted to alert Wessex Water if maintenance work is required.

Access comes off the A38; this is dictated by the traffic management plan, which controls all site traffic on or visiting the development. Within the site itself there is a network of roads used for construction. Comeytrowe Road and Comeytrowe Lane will not be used for site traffic. 

Our team of experts have carefully considered the local landscape to mitigate the risk of flooding, as well as looking at the best sustainable drainage solutions for the development. The requirements of the Flood Risk Assessment are being – and will continue to be – met across the site. A surface water drainage strategy has been agreed with the Lead Local Flood Authority, which is consulted on major planning applications. 

Several attenuation basins have already been constructed within the site, ensuring that surface water can successfully drain away at a safe rate.

A roundabout at Honiton Road has been approved within the Outline Planning permission, with the approved access plan setting the position and layout of the new junction. In time, the developers will prepare a more detailed design, which will consider the junction in more detail, including improvements to public realm and landscaping.  

Around 250m west of the junction with Honiton Road, the new main road within the development will cross Dipford Road. The detail and form of the junction will be determined at the reserved matters stage of planning. The recommendation will be to close Dipford Road east of the proposed junction to prevent access through the development site. Dipford Road would, in effect, become a cul-de-sac from Honiton Road. Access to the western side of Dipford Road would be available from within the development site. 

There is a dedicated email where queries can be directed (info@orchard-grove.com). Your email will generate an automated response – followed in time by a full response from our project team. If you do not receive either emails, please check your junk/spam folder. You can also take a look at our New Homes page for contact details for each of the developers at Orchard Grove.