Plans to deliver new low-cost homes near Shepton Mallet AFC's football ground are one step closer following a decision by Mendip councillors.

Mendip District Council has been exploring delivering new social housing on a range of sites across the district, forming partnerships with housing associations and other developers to meet local housing need.

The council's cabinet voted unanimously on Monday evening (March 7) to push forward with a scheme to build 15 new low-cost homes on the B3136 West Shepton, near Shepton Mallet AFC's existing facilities.

Work is also progressing to varying degrees to deliver new homes on sites in Frome, Glastonbury and Street. There are currently around 230 households in the wider Shepton area who are listed as requiring social housing on the Homefinder system utilised by the four district councils in Somerset. The new homes delivered by LiveWest will be a mixture of single- and two-storey properties, with at least one-third (five units) being suitable for elderly or physically impaired occupants – though this may rise depending on the availability of grant funding and the overall viability of the scheme. The council has already pledged that the new homes will exceed current building regulations, and will explore the propertied being zero-carbon, along the lines of the replacement properties within the North Taunton Woolaway Regeneration Programme. The site is currently leased to the football club from the council, but is not in active use, with the club exploring the possibility of providing new training facilities to the west of its current stadium. Councillor Richard Pinnock, portfolio holder for housing services and governance, told the cabinet on Monday evening (March 7): "Any proposals to build houses on recreational land will raise questions, so I am asking you to agree to the recommendations tonight on the basis of housing need.

"A full, open and transparent dialogue with the residents of Shepton Mallet will take place as part of the planning process.

"I want to reassure you that we have looked closely into the question of need. In a study we did last year, Shepton came bottom of the list of the main settlements in Mendip for the delivery of all tenures of affordable housing over a period of time.

"The need in Shepton is therefore clear – and we are targeting the area of greatest need with homes that are the hardest to deliver. We are playing a proactive role in bringing forward a proposal that is unlikely to be delivered by anyone else."

The council first announced its social housing programme in November 2020, aiming to deliver 160 homes across five sites in partnership with Aster Housing. The West Shepton site was added to the programme in September 2021.

Following the withdrawal of the Easthill site in Frome (which would have delivered 77 such properties), there are four sites remaining within the agreement between Aster Housing and the council:

Portland Road in Street (33 houses adjoining the cemetery)

Cranhill Road in Street (29 houses on the western half of the existing car park)

North Parade in Frome (17 homes on the rear part of the existing car park)

Norbins Road in Glastonbury (six houses on the existing car park, with access to St John's School being retained) Plans for the Portland Road and Norbins Road sites have been put forward for public consultation, with plans for the North Parade site expected to follow in the coming months.

The Cranhill scheme remains on hold until an investigation into an alternative, third-party site has been concluded.

Speaking after the cabinet's unanimous vote, council leader Ros Wyke said: "Social and affordable homes have not been built in Mendip for two decades. We said we'd address this deficit and put it right.

"We've kept this pledge, and are delivering a programme to be proud of across our district." A formal planning application for the West Shepton site is expected to come forward in the spring.

Plans put forward by Redrow Homes for 125 homes to the west of the town's football ground were refused by planning officers in late-September 2021.