Plans for 54 zero-carbon affordable homes – the first new council houses in Minehead for 30 years – will be formally submitted within the next two months, district council officers confirmed last week.

Somerset West and Taunton Council approved proposals for two new council housing schemes in late-December 2020, delivering a total of 65 properties across two sites.

The council ran a consultation with Minehead residents in January over one of the proposals, which would see 54 new homes built at Rainbow Way, off Seaward Way, near the town’s community hospital.

Officers have now confirmed a planning application for these homes will be formally submitted for further consultation in the coming weeks, with construction expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

A council spokesman said: “The development will showcase the latest innovations in environmentally-friendly construction and design,” and new artist’s impressions of the scheme came before the council’s tenants’ strategic panel when it met virtually last Monday.

Chris Brown, the council’s assistant director for redevelopment and regeneration, said: “We’ve got a very large programme of house-building ahead.

“The Minehead community is currently being consulted on this scheme of 54 units through social media and other formats. The scheme will be submitted to planning in the next two months.

“This scheme will be zero carbon and delivered by the autumn of 2023.”

The new homes will be constructed next to new industrial units in Seaward Way, with the council hoping it can begin building by the summer.

The scheme in its current form is made up of ten two-bedroom houses, seven three-bedroom houses and two four-bedroom houses, alongside 17 one-bed and 15 two-bed flats. There will also be one wheelchair-adapted two-bed flat and two wheelchair-adapted chalet bungalows.

Speaking in early January, Cllr Fran Smith, the council’s portfolio holder for housing, said: “We have committed to delivering 1,000 new homes across the district over the next 30 years, providing more housing to suit different members of the community.

“The development at Minehead is one of our first social rented housing schemes in the area for many years.”

The scheme has been welcomed by Minehead’s Conservative MP Ian Liddell-Grainger. “My only regret is that it has taken quite so long to put in place. The need has been apparent for a very long time and should have been met well before now,” he said.

“But I congratulate the council on coming up with an attractive and well-thought out scheme for this very high-profile site. It is going to make a significant contribution to the shortage of affordable housing in West Somerset.”

Daniel Mumby

Local democracy reporter