UP to 260 affordable homes should be built in Williton and 500 extra bed spaces created in Minehead as part of a lasting legacy from a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.

The call has come from councillors fighting to get a better deal from Hinkley C developer EDF Energy.

They say the developments could bring unspecified community benefits for both towns and reduce to 300 the number of bed spaces needed for construction workers on the Hinkley C site itself, rather than the proposed 700-bed hostel.

And they want the scaled down on-site hostel moved away from existing homes in Stogursey parish.

The ideas have been put forward as an "alternative strategy" by West Somerset Council and Sedgemoor District Council as part of a 700-plus page combined response to EDF's second stage of consultation.

They want EDF to build houses rather than hostels for the construction workers needed to build the new power station and believe it is crucial workers are not "fenced off" but integrated into local communities "while making a positive impact on the councils' housing priorities".

West Somerset Council planning manager Andrew Goodchild told last Thursday's special meeting of the council's cabinet: "We cannot get away from the fact that up to 3,500 people will descend on our community and will want somewhere to go.

"We can't just play hot potato and can't insist there is nothing."

He said EDF also appeared to be proposing to accommodate almost 500 workers "in Alcombe East".

"We can only assume that means Butlins," he said.

"We have spoken briefly to Butlins who confirmed they know nothing about it."

He said officers were uncomfortable with the suggestion, but could consider supporting it if the additional bed space was built at Butlins and that eventually resulted in better tourist facilities in Minehead.

"It would be a legacy for tourism, but it is how that is shaped and what it actually means," he said.

"Butlins could have access to the additional accommodation in eight years' time and that might enable them to refurbish other areas on site.

"It could be a tourism legacy, but we have to ask Butlins and have to demonstrate how that would work," he said.

But he warned that the current consultation - already branded as "unacceptable" and "completely inadequate" by officers - was meant to be the last stage before EDF submitted its full planning application to the Independent Planning Commission (IPC).

He said Government legislation clearly stated that EDF should consult on "detailed matters" and negotiate with local people and councils to find "solutions and mitigation" before an application was submitted.

But in reality, he said EDF had failed and had left the council trying to negotiate with its "hands tied behind its back".

"We can only discuss things when we fully understand what we are being asked to discuss.

"Otherwise, we could be discussing apples and what we get delivered is pears.

"We would advise EDF to think very carefully about a stage three consultation."

He said the council was more than willing to "positively collaborate" with EDF, but there was currently no requirement for any further consultation and EDF appeared determined to submit its application in the winter.

He said West Somerset, Sedgemoor and Somerset County Councils had so far been unable to fully comment on EDF's plans as there was so little detail, and what was available had no justification or evidence to support it.

Councillors were told EDF had shown a "lack of commitment" to offsetting the impact, had failed to understand the character of the area and had provided a very poor standard transport appraisal.

The company had also not addressed the impact the influx of construction workers would have on local property markets and tourism bed-space in West Somerset.

David Eccles, head of EDF Energy's Bridgwater office, told the meeting it had been "depressing" to hear a "litany of criticism" but wanted to convince councillors the glass was half full rather than half empty.

He said the development would bring significant financial and employment benefits but accepted more work still needed to be done.

"We are on a journey and stage two is not the end of the process, it's part of the way there," he said.

"There is an awful lot more to do, but we are where we are.

"We can maximise the opportunities and we at EDF are determined to do that in partnership with you."

Council leader Cllr Tim Taylor said part of the problem had been created by a lack of Government legislation but he said the council was determined to take things forward in a positive way:

"We really want to work in collaboration with EDF but we have a duty to protect our communities and the public.

"We are taking the lead nationally . . . I hope EDF comes forward and the Government takes on board the inadequacies in the process.".

But Stogursey councillor and lead member for the environment Cllr Chris Morgan said that while the council was willing to co-operate, it was up to EDF to fill in the gaps:

"I think if there had been more collaboration in the past we wouldn't be sat here now discussing how much more work still has to be done.

"It is difficult to respond to it because were are still not fully aware of what is being proposed.

"EDF had a golden opportunity to base the second consultation on what they had discovered from the first, but decided not to do it."

Mr Goodchild said EDF had already told the council it "robustly stood by" its proposals in their current form.

He said officers had ploughed through 10,000 pages from EDF and were currently working on the seventh draft of their official response.

Cabinet members gave their support to the evolving response and alternative strategy and called for more collaboration and "transparent" consultation between local authorities, communities and EDF.

The draft response still has to be ratified at a special full council meeting next Thursday.