Street affordable homes set to start after legal sign-off

By Laura Linham 15th Apr 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 15th Apr 2026

Construction work on 33 new affordable homes in Street can begin later this year after the final legal agreements were signed off.

The scheme, on land off Cemetery Lane and Portland Drive next to the village cemetery, was approved by Somerset Council in June 2025. Nearly a year later, the legal deal between the council and Aster has now been completed, clearing the way for work to start.

The site lies west of the existing cemetery and south of the village substation, bordered by Cemetery Lane and homes on Portland Drive.

Because Cemetery Lane is too narrow, the new development will be accessed from a new entrance on Portland Drive near the existing T-junction.

The homes will range from one-bedroom flats to three-bedroom houses. Every property will be offered as either social rent or intermediate rent, with the latter set at up to 80 per cent of local market value.

The site is allocated within the Mendip Local Plan Part II for at least 32 homes.

The development will also deliver just over £45,000 towards public open space and play improvements, with the funding focused on Woods Batch Park.

That park, now managed by Street Parish Council under a devolution deal, will provide the main pedestrian link between the new homes and local facilities. Residents are also expected to benefit from improved active travel links along the A39 Westway.

The scheme was held up for a significant period by the phosphates crisis, which has delayed housing projects across Somerset.

To offset the impact of the 33 homes, Aster will buy phosphate credits generated by the removal of cattle from Manor Farm in Prestleigh, near the Bath and West Showground.

Councillor Liz Leyshon said on Tuesday, 7 April, that she hoped there would be "spades in the ground very soon".

She said: "When I was a Mendip district councillor, I was working on social housing projects, and this is one of three sites we looked at in Street.

"We ultimately concentrated our efforts on Cemetery Lane, where I'm really hopeful we'll have spades in the ground very soon.

"Every time I walk down the high street, I am asked, particularly by young people, when there will be housing in Street that they can actually afford, either to rent or to buy."

Planning officer Jennifer Alvis said the scheme would help tackle the shortage of housing land in the former Mendip area and give residents sustainable access to local facilities.

She said the development would bring economic benefits during construction and through increased use of local businesses and services once people moved in.

Aster is expected to begin building before the end of the year, meaning the first homes could be offered through the Homefinder Somerset register by mid-2027 if the timetable stays on track.