ALMOST 50 homes could be built on land that had been once been planned as playing fields for a growing suburb of Weston-super-Mare.

The new development at Woodside Avenue and Ten Acres Close in Oldmixon originally included new sports pitches in its first plans back in 2016.

But the developers were given — and took — the option of making a financial contribution to improve Hutton’s existing local playing pitches instead of providing new fields as part of the development.

Now, a new planning application submitted to North Somerset Council seeks permission to build up to 48 homes on the land that had been intended as playing fields, which lies between Ten Acres Close and the Oldmixon industrial estate.

It has been used as a compound amid the building work for the adjoining development.

The new homes — 30 per cent of which would be affordable housing — would be accessed by a new road coming off Ten Acres Close.

Each house will have a charger for electric vehicles and an air source heat pump, and south facing homes would have solar panels on their roofs.

The grassy hillock next door to the field, which currently has no official public access, would be kept as an open space for locals. New planting is planned on it and a new path would run across it, connecting the new development to Well Close.

You can view and comment on the plans here: https://planning.n-somerset.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=S7RV6PLPIDK00