THE Government has announced £5.5m will be spent on new roads in order to support 1,350 new homes planned for the east of Bridgwater.

The site comprises land between Bower Lane, Dunwear Lane and the M5 motorway. The site will potentially accommodate more than 1,350 new homes along with new schools, community facilities, and new areas of public open space.

The development will also provide a new road linking Westonzoyland Road to the south with the A39 to the north providing improved access in the area.

Sedgemoor District Council say it will provide an opportunity to take traffic off Bower Lane making this a more attractive walking and cycling option whilst retaining local access to properties and businesses.

The £5.5m funding will be used to help fund this new road ensuring that it is in place as soon as possible and directly supporting the rapid delivery of much needed housing. Sedgemoor is already working with developers, landowners and Somerset County Council in order to ensure that the necessary planning approvals are in place as quickly as possible.

With this Housing Investment Fund money now secured, it is envisaged that the first new houses will be completed from 2019 with others to follow quickly. 

Leader of Sedgemoor District Council, Councillor Duncan McGinty said: “This funding will provide much needed cash to bring forward further housing development in Bridgwater, through delivering a new and improved highway to the east of the town.  We are delighted that Sedgemoor were one of the local authorities recognised for its housing need.

Bridgwater’s MP, Ian Liddell-Grainger added: “I applaud the team at Sedgemoor for getting an allocation from the first wave of monies from this new fund.  I look forward to working with Government, Sedgemoor and Somerset County Council to deliver the homes our community needs”

An application has already been submitted to Sedgemoor District Council for 260 homes on land at Bower Farm, as well as a new roundabout and access road, forming the first part of the 'new neighbourhood'.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor Philip Hammond announced today, (Thursday, February 1) that 133 council-led projects across the country would receive funding to support local work that will make housing developments viable and get much-needed homes built quicker.

With the government committed to building 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s, this first wave of  £866 million in funding from the £5 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund is part of a comprehensive programme to fix the broken housing market.

This latest investment and will fund key local infrastructure projects including new roads, cycle paths, flood defences and land remediation work, all essential ahead of building the homes.

Without this financial support these projects would struggle to go ahead or take years for work to begin, delaying the homes these communities need. Together with the government’s Industrial Strategy, it will provide high-quality infrastructure to support economic growth.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said: "Today marks the first step of the multi-billion pound investment we announced at the Budget to help build the homes our country needs.

"This fund finances vital infrastructure such as roads, schools and bridges, which will kick-start housing development in some of Britain’s highest-demand areas.

"This support will help us meet our ambitious plan of building 300,000 new homes each year and ensure we have enough housing in areas which need it most.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid added: "Our priority is building the homes this country desperately needs.

"This first wave of investment totalling £866 million will help get up to 200,000 homes off the ground, making a huge difference to communities across the country.

"This is just one of the many ways this government is taking action to get Britain building homes again."

The £5 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund is a government capital grant programme to help unlock new homes in areas with the greatest housing demand. Funding is awarded to local authorities on a highly competitive basis.