A Frome housing development is one of six major schemes across Somerset which could be delivered with greater speed if a bid to central government is successful.

Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves MP announced the creation of the new homes accelerator fund on July 8, as part of the new Labour government's ambition to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliament.

UK councils were invited to submit bids to this new fund between late-August and late-October, putting forward sites which could be unlocked or sped up through a central government grant.

Somerset Council has now confirmed the six developments which it has put forward, comprising a total of 7,754 homes – some of which have already been delivered on sites which have been partially built out.

The outcome of the bid is expected to be announced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) early in the new year.

The new homes accelerator fund "aims to unblock and accelerate the delivery of housing developments that have for various reasons become delayed, or which are not progressing as quickly as they could be", according to the official MHCLG website.

Funding will be prioritised for "large-scale housing developments", with grants being directed to a number of different areas – including extra planning officers for local councils to speed up the decision-making process.

Somerset Council has identified the following six sites which could be eligible for this funding:

1. Orchard Grove, Taunton (2,000 homes): Taylor Wimpey and its partners within the Orchard Grove consortium are currently building out the western neighbourhood of this major development, which lies between the A38 Wellington Road and Honiton Road on Taunton's western edge. While numerous homes have been delivered (along with the new primary school), the delivery of future phases may be help up by the phosphates crisis, with additional mitigation needing to be secured.
2. Selwood Garden Community, Frome (1,700 homes): Outline plans were submitted in August 2021 for the Selwood Garden Community (SGC), which would see green fields between the A361 and the southern edge of Frome transformed into a substantial new community. The council's planning committee east is expected to debate the plans in early-December, with the new homes being delivered over a 15-year period if permission is granted
3. Staplegrove Garden Community, Taunton (1,628 homes): The Staplegrove urban extension has already secured £14.2m from the government's housing infrastructure fund, which will be used to deliver the new spine road and contribute to the cost of a new primary school. While the first phase of the western site has secured planning permission, construction has been delayed by the phosphates crisis and ongoing negotiations over the eastern site
4. Monkton Heathfield Garden Community, Taunton (1,450 homes in phase two): phase one of the Monkton Heathfield urban extension, at the north-eastern edge of Taunton, has been largely built out by Persimmon Homes South West and Redrow Homes. The developers are still negotiating with Somerset Council over the masterplan for phase two (known as Langaller Park), with a decision not expected on the latest iteration of proposals until the spring of 2025
5. Brimsmore Key Site, Yeovil (976 homes): Wyatt Homes has been delivering this major development on the north-western edge of Yeovil, with the latest phase (comprising 54 homes and new sports facilities) being approved in March 2023. While the western neighbourhood has been substantially delivered, there is uncertainty over the easternmost elements in light of the ongoing phosphates crisis
6. Tangier sites, Taunton (unspecified number of homes): the Tangier sites comprise several parcels of land around the River Tone (some of which are in the council's ownership), including the former gasworks at the junction of Castle Street and Tangier Way. Vistry Homes previously secured planning permission from Taunton Deane Borough Council to build up to 176 homes on the gasworks site, but this has permission has now lapsed – and no further applications have come forward for the site

An MHCLG spokesman said: "We will set out next steps shortly to those who have submitted information in response to this call for evidence, which closed on October 31.

"Submitting a site does not guarantee any follow up or government support.

"The application process has now closed and the government is in the process of reviewing all submissions."