Taunton's Woolaway Project given £5m grant to speed up progress

The North Taunton Woolaway Project, which is being overseen by Somerset Council, will see 162 ‘defective’ Woolaway homes in the Priorswood area of Taunton demolished and replaced by 229 low-carbon council houses – with a further 27 homes being refurbished.

The programme – which was initiated by Taunton Deane Borough Council before its abolition in April 2019 – has been slowly moving forward, with the initial homes (known as Phase A) being delivered despite delays caused by the phosphates crisis and the main contractor threatening to pull out.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has now provided £5m towards the scheme through Homes England’s affordable housing programme, which will allow new phases of the programme to be accelerated.

The Homes England funding will enable 66 of the remaining replacement new-build homes to be delivered, freeing up Somerset Council resources to deliver the remaining homes and reducing the pressure on its capital programme (which is currently under review).

Section of the North Taunton Woolaway Homes Regeneration Scheme. (Image: Somerset Council)

Jackie Jacob, Homes England’s affordable housing grants director, said: “This funding is the first grant allocation following the introduction of our new flexibilities to support our partners plans for estate regeneration.

“Our new Strategic Plan objectives will support Somerset Council in its ambitions to regenerate North Taunton, an area with some of the highest social deprivation levels in the county.

“The North Taunton Woolaway Project is a signal of the funding open to affordable housing providers to accelerate the regeneration of social housing and help level up communities across the country.

“We encourage all providers and local authorities to come and talk to us as early as possible if they need support to develop their proposals – we’re here to help.”

The North Taunton programme has five phases, with Phases A to D involving the demolition and replacement of properties and Phase E entailing the refurbishments of current properties.

Phase A comprises 47 properties across five separate sites – one north of Ludlow Avenue, one south of Cambridge Terrace, one north of Bodmin Road, one west of Dorchester Road and Wells Close, and the site on the corner of Rochester Road and Dorchester Road.

New homes being built on Dorchester Road. (Image: Daniel Mumby)

The first Phase A properties were completed and let to council tenants in May, with Equans currently working to complete the remaining properties in this phase by early-2024.

Planning permission for 111 new homes within Phases B and C was granted by Somerset West and Taunton Council in July 2022, with a demolition contractor being appointed to demolish the existing Phase B properties on Durham Place and Oxford Place.

The new Homes England funding will allow for 100 new homes across Phases B, C and D to be delivered, with a mixture of bungalows, houses and flats being provided.

The bulk of the funding is expected to be used on bringing forward Phases C and D more quickly than anticipated, with Phase B expected to be completed in late-2025.

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, Somerset Council’s portfolio holder for communities, housing and culture, said: “I’m thrilled about the impact this grant will have on the North Taunton Woolaway Project.

“This funding represents a tangible commitment to improving the lives of our tenants, allowing us to build high quality, low energy homes with the blend of properties our community needs.

“It allows us to progress our North Taunton regeneration scheme which, through improved housing, address the social and health challenges parts of our community face as well as providing much needed new homes at affordable rent.

“I want to acknowledge the invaluable input of our local residents whose insights have played a pivotal role in shaping this project. Their input has been instrumental, and this project stands as a testament to the strength of community engagement.

“We extend our gratitude to Homes England for their commitment to the North Taunton Woolaway Project. Its £5m grant is a game-changer for our community, and we look forward to using this grant to create a thriving, sustainable future for North Taunton.”

For more information on the North Taunton project, visit www.somerset.gov.uk/housing-support/council-and-social-housing/north-taunton-woolaway-project-overview.