UP to 600 new homes should be built in Williton and Watchet as part of plans for a new power station at Hinkley Point.

If built, the properties would provide 'legacy' housing for local people once construction staff involved with the project have moved on.

Sports facilities and a link road should be provided in Williton, leisure services upgraded in Stogursey and more cash set aside to financially compensate local communities likely to be the worst affected by the Hinkley C proposals.

District council chiefs also want to see plans for 24-hour on-site construction work ditched and a cap on the number of workers allowed to take up tourism bed spaces.

Plans for a 510-bed on-site hostel should also be dropped in favour of a smaller hostel for a maximum of 100 staff.

The demands are contained in a lengthy planning document produced by West Somerset Council and Sedgemoor District Council.

The Hinkley Point C Project Joint Supplementary Planning Document - effectively a blueprint of the two local authorities' aim and aspirations from the Hinkley development - will give the councils a stronger bargaining voice at national level once plans are finally submitted for the new station.

The document has already been out to public consultation and on Wednesday won the full support of West Somerset's cabinet.

It will now go to the full council next Thursday (October 13) and is being recommended for formal adoption.

But councillors have been warned that while it will give them extra negotiating powers, nothing is certain.

Ian Timms, the council's housing and community manager, told Wednesday's cabinet meeting: "Due to the absence of detailed adopted policy guidance in relation to Hinkley Point C, West Somerset Council and Sedgemoor District Council took the decision to prepare a joint supplementary planning document.

"This is intended to help inform EDF Energy's proposals by setting out alternative approaches on certain aspects of the proposals, with a particular focus on off-site associated development.

"An important example is the provision of accommodation for construction workers, with the council favouring the construction of permanent dwellings in existing settlements rather than a large temporary campus at Hinkley Point."

But planning manager Andrew Goodchild warned that the councils and EDF could be on a collision course over the document, particularly on the issue of accommodation.

"EDF is very much sticking to the campus approach to life. While we think permanent legacy housing is a good idea, I do think we are very unlikely to see any development by EDF in reality," Mr Goodchild said.

The document places an emphasis on the need for permanent homes for construction workers rather than EDF's favoured temporary hostels and calls for the bulk of the workers' housing to eventually be signed-over as local-need, affordable homes.

The councils want to see up to 35 workers homes being created within the long-awaited East Quay development in Watchet and around 25 homes within Stogursey's Paddons Farm.

They believe money should be given to a housing fund if EDF comes down in favour of temporary rather than permanent developments.

The document also focuses on a range of other issues, including tourism, leisure and waste storage and makes it clear both authorities want to see lasting, permanent benefits for local residents as a result of the multi-billion pound development.

EDF has already promised a raft of measures as part of its preliminary Hinkley C plans, including multi-million mitigation packages to offset the impact of site preparation work.

Road improvements, including a new roundabout at Washford Cross as part of plans for a park and ride at the Smithyard Terminal near Watchet, are also on the cards - although Cannington has yet to secure any formal promises for a much-wanted bypass.

EDF has yet to submit its application to the national Infrastructure Planning Commission for permission to build the new power station, although it is likely to happen in the next few weeks.

EDF has consistently refused to narrow down it's application timetable, except to say the application will be made before the end of the year.

Once submitted, it will be at least 12 months before the commission reaches a decision on the plans.