The Somerset Council has awarded contracts for the demolition of ‘defective’ properties, marking a significant step in the next phase of the North Taunton Woolaway regeneration scheme. The initiative aims to replace dilapidated housing with 227 eco-friendly council houses. Phase A of the project is nearing completion, with 47 new homes already delivered across five sites. The latest contracts will cover the demolition of existing properties in Phase B, as well as parts of Phases C and D, to pave the way for the construction of new homes in the near future.
Furthermore, the demolition contract includes properties at Coleridge Close and Wordsworth Drive in Taunton, set to be replaced through a separate scheme. This next phase of the Woolaway project, which received planning permission in July 2022, involves the demolition of 136 existing homes and the construction of 111 new builds, along with the creation of communal green spaces near Rochester Road.
Future phases of the project will be executed once additional phosphate mitigation measures are in place to counteract the impact of the new properties on the Somerset Levels and Moors. With the council securing over £9.6 million from the government to expand its phosphate credits schemes, further housing developments are set to be unlocked across the county. The demolition of the Woolaway properties will be carried out by Hughes and Salvidge, a Portsmouth-based firm, under a contract worth £662,850, representing a cost saving of approximately £157,000.
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In addition to the North Taunton demolitions, Hughes and Salvidge will also dismantle properties at Wordsworth Drive and Coleridge Close. The entire North Taunton Woolaway programme is projected to cost around £75 million, primarily funded through borrowing, with a significant portion coming from right-to-buy receipts and Homes England funding. Demolition work is expected to be completed within two to three months, once underway.