AN online public consultation opened this week for plans to add nearly 70 extra homes on a housing development on the edge of Wellington.

CG Fry and Son was given permission in 2015 to build 650 homes in seven phases on the Jurston Fields estate alongside Wellington Relief Road.

It has completed the first two phases and is currently working on phase three, which together contain more than 300 properties, and now wants to finalise details of the remaining four areas of the site.

But, it is wants to take the total build to 717 homes instead of the permitted 650 and will submit two planning applications to Somerset Council, one for an extra 67 homes and one covering details of the already-approved final four phases.

The council has already informally told the firm it does not have any objections to the extra 67 properties.

Under its 2015 consent, CG Fry has until December of this year to apply for what is known as ‘reserved matters’ permission for the remainder of the estate.

A spokesperson for the company said: “The original permission for up to 650 dwellings was not tested with a detailed site wide layout, and was based on an estimate of coverage and an indicative masterplan.

“Comments from this public consultation and other stakeholder engagement will be reviewed by the design team and incorporated where appropriate.

“The intention is to submit the reserved matters and full application in July.

“Somerset Council will then carry out its own consultation once the application has been submitted, allowing comments to be directly sent to the council itself.”

The spokesperson said the pattern and density of development considered acceptable had been established with the phases which had already been completed.

They said the extra properties would not ‘significantly’ encroach on land not originally proposed for development and would not take away from the provision of public open spaces, on part of which the company is proposing to site a pump track.

The estate also includes a ‘local centre’ for shopping and employment and a commercial building with flats above has already been built, while land has been reserved for a primary school site, although the council has said there currently was not any demand for extra classrooms.

The spokesperson said: “The final phases layout has continued the established pattern and density to continue the development in the same fashion.

“It is likely the use of terraced properties throughout the development, which is not common on other modern housing developments, has contributed to the additional 67 dwellings, as they use land more efficiently.

“As requested by the council, the layout also includes a number of one-bedroom affordable properties that further increases the density.”

The remaining build would continue to incorporate a 25 per cent ratio of affordable housing, making 84 in total.

Details of the consultation are on a dedicated website and any comments can be emailed by midnight on July 2 to planning.exeter@carneysweeney.co.uk or in writing to Carney Sweeney Planning, Broadwalk House, 1 Southernhay West, Exeter.