A TOTAL of 27 much-needed affordable homes have been built in the village of Pawlett.

Social housing provider Stonewater has worked to together with Sedgemoor District Council and contractors RG Spiller at the cul-de-sac development on Springfield Close off Chapel Road.

The new development comprises two one-bedroom apartments, 17 one, two, three and four-bedroom houses, all for affordable rent.

There are also eight shared ownership homes at the site. Financed by Stonewater with an additional £545,154 in grant funding from the Homes and Communities Agency, Springfield Close has been built to tackle the shortage of affordable housing in the area.

“Many young families who work locally and have a connection to Pawlett are being squeezed out of the community because they simply can’t afford to rent or buy a home,” said Jonathan Layzell, Stonewater’s executive director for development.

“With average house prices at £206,644, which is more than eight times the local salary, and typical monthly rents almost a third of wages in the Sedgemoor District, we hope these new Stonewater homes in Springfield Close will go some way towards addressing the shortage of affordable housing in the village and wider Bridgwater area.”

Cllr Andrew Gilling, portfolio holder for housing at Sedgemoor District Council, said: “Providing affordable homes is a central priority for the council.

"With rising house prices and demand continuing to make purchasing and renting homes very difficult for people, it’s great to see rural developments like Pawlett come forward with the support of the local community.

“This official completion is particularly welcome given some of the challenges involved with the Pawlett scheme.

"Facing potentially project-ending challenges in 2014, the successful completion of these new homes represents the culmination of many years’ hard work, and is a testament to Stonewater’s significant efforts to help maintain the delivery of meaningful numbers of new affordable homes across Sedgemoor.

"Their bold decision to step in on this project has ultimately meant we have been able to help more people into genuinely affordable homes, providing 27 affordable units for the village.”

Stonewater, which owns and manages 450 homes in the Sedgemoor District, has also recently transformed an unused former pub in Bridgwater, The Pig & Whistle, into 17 new two- and three-bedroom houses for affordable rent.