THE district council is looking to knock down 16 homes and a shop it owns in Taunton.

The homes are in two blocks in Wordsworth Drive and Coleridge Crescent and are no longer deemed fit for purpose.

One of the flats is privately owned and the tenant would need to be compensated by Somerset West and Taunton Council.

The council says "agreement will be reached with the shop for its closure".

The other tenants would be given 'gold' priority on the council house waiting list.

A block of 13 council-owned garages could remain until an alternative use is found for the site.

A report to the council's community scrutiny meeting on February 23 says: "A report proposes that the Wordsworth Drive and Coleridge Crescent flats no longer provides the quality of accommodation, in terms of decency and thermal efficiency, which SWT tenants should expect and which the council strive to provide."

"SWT considered four investment options before concluding that the two blocks have reached the end of their life and costs to the council’s Housing Revenue Account to bring the two blocks to an appropriate standard for the next 60 years does not provide reasonable value to the council and to the HRA business plan.

The report recommends starting to move the Wordsworth Drive residents out of their flats in April this year.

Coleridge Crescent residents would be relocated from April next year.

The report adds: "The report proposes that the properties/blocks are secured and then demolished to minimise any blight or nuisance to residents.

"The housing directorate currently believe that the garages can remain and continue to be let until an alternative use for the site is agreed."

The privately owned flat and 11 others are in Wordsworth Drive, with the other four in Coleridge Crescent.

A report to the council published in November 2021 highlighted a number of concerns relating to the quality of the concrete in the two blocks, as well as the condition and limited volume of steel reinforcement.

Although the buildings are currently deemed to be safe, engineers are unable to confirm a 20-year life for them and suggest they are close to the end of their life.

SWT has put in place a number of actions to monitor the building until demolition is undertaken.