New Somerset affordable homes plan rectified by major government grant

Following extreme financial pressures, a huge government grant is helping to pay for the construction of 16 new low-cost homes in Somerset.  

Following a £1.5m government grant, Strongvox Homes which is based in Taunton – a county town of Somerset – will build 16 new homes before they are purchased by Sedgemoor District Council and its unitary successor. The homes will be offered to local residents at social housing rent levels.

Located at Somerset Village, the properties will be comprised of six two-bedroom flats, six two-bedroom houses, three three-bedroom houses and a further three-bedroom house which is suitable for disabled access.  

Strongvox Homes was granted permission in October 2020 to build 109 new houses on the Cricketer Farm brownfield site on the A39 Cannington Road in Nether Stowey, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, Sedgemoor District Council granted a request by the developer to remove all affordable housing planned from the site in April 2022, after the company claimed the development was no longer viable.

Government agency, Homes England, has since provided £1.5m to deliver 16 homes, pushing the plans forward after all.

The government grant comes on top of £180K from the EDF housing mitigation fund, which was set up ahead of construction beginning on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

Duncan Harvey, Housing Development Manager at Homes in Sedgemoor, said: ‘We have been working closely with Nether Stowey Parish Council to bring genuinely affordable, high-quality homes to the village.

‘We are delighted to report such a positive outcome from our collective efforts. Local people with a housing need, and who have the strongest connection with Nether Stowey, will be given the highest priority for the new homes.

‘We will be organising future drop-in sessions so that potential applicants can find out more about what is available and register their interest. This is a great opportunity for people to live affordably within a community in a place to which they have a strong connection.’

Photo by Annie Spratt