Low-cost homes built on former printworks site

Nearly 30 low-cost homes have been built on a key brownfield site in Bridgwater town centre.

They are located on the former Bigwood and Staple printworks on Church Street, which had remained vacant since an arson attack in 2007.

Abracore Ltd was granted outline planning permission in September 2019 to build 29 new homes.

Sedgemoor District Council purchased the site from the London-based firm for £4.3m in August 2022, allowing it to offer the new homes to residents below the market rate.

Priority will be given to individuals and families with local connections, as well as adults with learning disabilities.

Somerset Council leader Bill Revans said: "What I really love about these houses is some of them are going to be allocated to adults with learning disabilities, who will have an ideal place to live, to be looked after, to take part in community, to live independently and that's exactly what we want to do with our housing stock in Somerset."

The new homes, all of which are being offered as social rent, are equipped with parking spaces, cycle storage and bin stores, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, portfolio holder for communities, housing and culture, said: “These are such fantastic properties and will have lots of benefits to the tenants... and they’re just really perfectly centred in Bridgwater.”

Peter Hatch, chief executive of Homes in Sedgemoor, said the properties would meet the needs of people looking for "affordable and environmentally responsible properties".

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