Somerset Council, in partnership with Homes in Somerset, has announced a plan to deliver up to 580 new council houses across the county by April 2030. While this commitment promises to expand social housing options, not all areas in Somerset will benefit equally from the development.
The new council housing development strategy builds on recently completed projects, such as the Rainbow Way scheme in Minehead, which added 54 homes on Seaward Way, and the Oxford Inn site on Roman Road in Taunton, where eight flats were recently allocated to local residents.
Most forthcoming developments are set to be concentrated along the M5 corridor, raising concerns that rural parts of the county may be overlooked unless extra land or funding is secured. Currently, Somerset Council owns around 10,000 council homes, with approximately 6,000 managed directly by the council and about 4,000 managed by Homes in Somerset, an arm’s-length organisation owned by the council. Plans are underway to transfer all housing management responsibilities fully to Homes in Somerset, although trade unions have raised concerns about potential negative impacts on tenants and increased costs.
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New council houses will be delivered either through direct council-led build projects on council-owned land, such as the Oxford Inn site, or by purchasing homes built by commercial developers, as planned at Cricketer Farm in Nether Stowey. Financing for these homes will come from rents collected from current tenants and external borrowing, kept separate from the council’s main capital projects for schools, roads, and major regeneration.
The strategy was scrutinised in detail by the council’s adults and health scrutiny committee on April 9 in Bridgwater. Councillor Gill Slocombe, chairing the meeting, emphasised the need for varied housing types to prevent social issues and reduce long-term care costs. She highlighted concerns over the prevalence of flats for elderly residents, advocating for more bungalows built to national space standards to support ‘homes for life’.
Out of the 580 homes planned by 2030, 98 have already been completed or are near completion, including projects such as Seaward Way and Penlea House in Bridgwater. Future developments include 48 homes at Brymore Way in Cannington (awaiting planning permission), 23 at Cricketer Farm, and nine at the Grove estate in Charlton Adam.
New housing will continue within the North Taunton Woolaway regeneration scheme, though later phases remain under review and may be delivered beyond 2030 or reassessed.
The strategy has drawn criticism for regional imbalances. Councillor Ewan Cameron (Liberal Democrat, Glastonbury) pointed out that only 27 new homes (roughly 5% of the investment) are planned for the east of the county, with no developments scheduled in the former Mendip area. Portfolio holder Councillor Sarah Wakefield explained that previous council house sales in Mendip and South Somerset districts under ‘right to buy’ reforms have left the council with limited housing stock in the east, where affordable homes are mostly owned by registered providers rather than the council itself.
Conservative Councillor Tom Power (Wincanton and Bruton) expressed concern over the lack of new council housing in his area, stressing the high demand from young people unable to afford market housing. He urged the council to prioritise development in the east to address this gap.
The final housing development strategy is expected to be approved by Somerset Council’s executive committee later this year, as the council aims to balance growth with community needs across the county.