Somerset campsite plans 100 new pitches for Hinkley Point C workers
EDF Energy's expansion could ease local housing pressures
A Somerset campsite could be expanded with 100 new pitches to accommodate Hinkley Point C workers if new plans are approved.
EDF Energy is taking a range of approaches to house additional workers at the nuclear power station site as the ‘workforce uplift’ takes hold, with the number of people working on site expected to hit 15,000 by 2028.
Numerous Hinkley Point C workers are already being accommodated in caravans at Mill Farm Camping and Caravan Park, located off Watery Lane in Fiddington – roughly halfway between Bridgwater and the Quantock Hills.
NNB Generation Company (HPC) Ltd has now applied to permission to expand this campsite with a further 100 pitches for power station staff – with Somerset Council expected to make a decision by the end of the summer.
The campsite currently has 443 touring pitches, of which all but 52 can be used all year round.
These pitches can be used by Hinkley Point C workers until the end of the current year – though this is likely to be extended.
The new pitches would be created on agricultural land east of the private road leading into the campsite, with a welfare building (including showers and toilets) being constructed in the centre and a “recreation area” in the south-east corner.
Each of the 100 new pitches, if approved, can be used to house Hinkley Point C staff until December 31, 2031.
A spokesperson for PCL Planning (representing the applicant) said: “This proposal at Mill Farm represents a further opportunity to provide additional accommodation capacity for workers, which would also be beneficial in reducing pressure on the local housing market from workers otherwise looking to access – in particular, private rented sector housing stock.
“It has the added benefits of utilising an existing site that is already established as an appropriate location for Hinkley Point C worker accommodation served by the project’s bus strategy, and having access to on-site services and facilities.
“It also represents significant investment into the site to support the viability of its longer term tourism use as a legacy after the Hinkley Point C project.”
Bridgwater’s private rental sector is expected to experience additional pressure in the coming years as the new ‘gigafactory’ takes shape within the Gravity enterprise zone, between Puriton and Woolavington.
The campsite site lies within walking distance of the A39 between Bridgwater and Nether Stowey, allowing residents to catch the familiar white double-decker buses which run to and from the site from the park and ride facility in the neighbouring village of Cannington.
Somerset Council will make a decision on the expansion plans by the early-autumn. It is not presently clear whether this decision will be taken in public by its planning committee north (which handles major applications within the former Sedgemoor area) or through the delegated powers of its planning officers.