PROPOSALS for 26 zero carbon council homes on the site of 12 existing homes have been submitted to planners.

Somerset West and Taunton Council is applying for full permission to demolish the existing homes to make way for the development at Snedden Grove, Taunton.

The scheme would include eight houses and 18 flats once the prefabricated houses, which are used as short-term accommodation, there have been bulldozed.

The homes would be made up of six two-bedroom houses; one three-bedroom house; one four-bedroom house; 16 two-bedroom flats; and two one-bedroom flats.

If approved, construction could start this summer, with the first homes completed by summer 2023.

The site is owned by SWT, which provides around 5,700 affordable houses in the district.

A statement accompanying the planning application says: "These assets (the existing 12 homes) are no longer considered of a suitable home due to their poor prefabricated qualities and problems associated with poor insulation and heating costs.

"The council has increased its provision of Housing Revenue Account (HRA) properties over the past 12 months to support family homelessness and adopted a new Single Homeless Accommodation Strategy and Delivery Plan to provide accommodation to meet the council’s ambitions.

It adds: "The intensification of the site from 12 units to 26 units will help the council address planning policy and corporate priorities of more affordable housing.

"A hundred per cent of the homes will be retained and maintained by SWT'’s HRA as affordable homes and the additional 14 homes on this site will access Right to Buy receipts under the council’s and HRA’s one for one agreement with Government.

"The scheme mix was developed considering the housing needs data for Taunton which shows a clear and substantial need for new affordable housing across the size (number of bedrooms/bed spaces)

spectrum with significant need for one- and two-bedroom properties."

SWT has identified six council-owned sites in Taunton that are available to develop a new carbon zero standard for council housing.

The sites - five in the north of the town, one on the south - currently house a number of low quality prefabricated houses and garage/parking spaces.