More than 100 new homes could be built in northern Chard if planning officers decide the site is suitable for development.

Barratt Homes – the company behind the Wyndham Park development on the east side of Yeovil – has teased the possibility of building up to 140 homes on land to the east of Crimchard, north of a current residential area.

The developer, which is based in Leicestershire, has made initial enquiries to South Somerset District Council about the prospect of developing the land.

The council will decide in the coming weeks whether the site is suitable, after which formal plans will be submitted by the developer.

The inquiry – known as a screening and scoping request – is designed to provide important background information before a formal planning application is made.

In September, Exeter-based firm Place Land LLP made a similar query about building up to 350 homes and a care home opposite Crewkerne railway station.

The site in question lies at the north-western border of Chard, north of the Redstart Primary School and south of Chard garden centre.

This site  was included in the council’s Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (HELAA), which identifies sites which are available and suitable to meet future housing needs.

However, the site’s inclusion within the HELAA is not a guarantee planning permission will be granted for any housing development that comes forward – it will still have to go through the normal process, with scrutiny from councillors, officers and members of the public.

A council spokesman said: “The HELAA only identifies opportunities for housing and economic development on sites which are considered to be suitable, available and achievable.

“It does not allocate sites to be developed. The allocation of sites for future housing or economic development will be identified through the preparation of Local Plans and Neighbourhood Development Plans.

“The identification of potential sites within the HELAA does not imply that planning permission would be granted if an application were to be submitted.”

Somerset County Council, which is responsible for highways matters, carried out a visit to the site on September 24 and has concluded a more detailed assessment of the impact of extra traffic is needed.

Adam Garland, the council’s planning liaison officer, said that the assessment should cover “the likely overall traffic implications” and “any required work for junction modelling and potential mitigation” of congestion.

The district council will make a decision on the scoping request in the coming weeks. If successful, Barratt Homes will then submit an application for outline planning permission.