THE planned site of 1,700 new homes on the southern edge of Frome has been put up for sale on the open market.

The Selwood Garden Community (SGC) will see new homes on agricultural land between the B3090 Marston Lane and the busy A361, along with commercial space, two care homes, a local centre (with shops and a possible medical centre), a primary school and a range of public open spaces and sports facilities.

Housing secretary Steve Reed MP gave the green light to the proposals in April, having called in the decision back in February 2025 and staged a public inquiry in Shepton Mallet in early-August.

Cooper and Tanner is now advertising the land for sale, with interested parties having until September 16 to put in their bids.

Of the 1,700 homes proposed for the site, 30 percent will be affordable – the equivalent of 510 homes - and will be a mixture of social rented, shared ownership and other low-cost options.

The consortium will also make improvements to the Beckington and White Post roundabouts, which provide key links to the neighbouring villages along with Bath and Trowbridge.

Only a small part of the site was allocated for housing within the recently-updated Mendip Local Plan Part II which included numerous other sides on the southern edge of Frome including the Keyford Meadows site on Sandys Hill Lane and developments either side of the B3092 The Mount.

Cooper and Tanner described the site as “an outstanding opportunity for house-builders, investors and development partners alike”, adding that it would be accepting bids for either the entire site or dividing the areas into three separate lots.

A spokesperson said: “The site offers the ability to provide an excellent phased scheme with a clear deliverable platform, with front-loaded access points and appropriate triggers for phased employment, social infrastructure and phase-by-phase drainage.

“The application site currently comprises primarily of agricultural land divided by mature hedgerows and interspersed with scattered copses and individual properties.

“The freehold is being offered for sale via informal tender. It will be a two round process with initial bids sought by September 16.

“Those parties that submit a bid will be informed whether they are invited for the second round interview stage, anticipated to be held in late-October, following a review of submissions.

“Interest from prospective parties is invited either as a whole or in three principal parts – being the residential, employment land and the care home gateway building.

“Joint bids may be presented but it is not anticipated that the property would be further subdivided.”

Successful bidders will need to submit detailed plans, as part of a reserved matters application, for the first phase of the new development by the spring of 2027.

Due to the scale and significance of the development, these plans will most likely come before the council’s planning committee east (which handles major applications within the former Mendip area) for final approval.

Until such plans are approved, no construction can take place on the site though some vegetation clearance or similar preliminary work can occur.