Campaigners in Wells say Somerset Council is failing to plan properly for accessible housing, leaving many wheelchair users without suitable homes.

The criticism comes from Accessible Wells Campaign Group, which has sent a detailed research briefing to the council outlining what it says are major shortcomings in how the authority assesses and delivers accessible housing across Somerset.

Campaign lead Theo van Hensbergen said the group began investigating the issue after hearing repeated concerns from wheelchair users struggling to find suitable accommodation.

He said: "Many wish to live independently and participate in employment. They do not want to rely on carers, just because the accommodation they are restricted to is not suitable for independent living.

"But when we started to explore what is available and what is being done to improve things, we were seriously surprised at how bad things are."

Campaign claims council failing legal and policy tests

According to the group's research, Somerset Council's current approach to planning new housing developments fails four key tests:

• Government guidance on assessing and responding to the need for fully accessible homes
• Duties under the Equality Act 2010, which places an anticipatory duty on councils to understand and plan for wheelchair users' needs
• The council's own 2023–2027 priorities to deliver a "healthy, caring and fairer Somerset"
• Financial prudence, by not placing more responsibility for accessible homes on housing developers

Campaigners say the council currently has no clear data showing the scale of wheelchair users' housing needs across the county, nor how much suitable housing already exists.

They also claim the authority does not have clear plans or policies to close the gap between need and provision.

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According to the group, the absence of this assessment and planning means many disabled residents cannot access housing that allows them to live independently.

Call for council action

The research paper sent to Somerset Council sets out what the campaign group says are the authority's current failings and proposes steps it believes could improve accessible housing provision.

Campaigners argue that planning policies requiring developers to deliver more accessible homes could reduce reliance on Disabled Facilities Grants funded by taxpayers.

Van Hensbergen said campaigners' conversations with councillors and officers suggest there is concern about the issue but insufficient policy framework to address it.

He said: "From our personal dealings with Somerset Council officers and councillors, we know they are decent people who do care – but there is a serious absence of council policy and processes for delivering accessible homes."

Council's response

A Somerset Council spokesperson said: "We recognise that demand for accessible housing continues to grow, particularly as people live longer and may need different types of support.

"We are working closely with partners to increase the supply of suitable homes, including exploring opportunities through the emerging Somerset Local Plan to influence future design and accessibility standards. As part of the evidence-base for the new Local Plan, we have commissioned a Housing Needs Study that will consider the future housing requirements for Somerset including type, size, tenure and specialist housing needs including the level of need for wheelchair accessible homes. More information on this can be found on our website.

 "In the last year, 12 new rural affordable homes were fully wheelchair‑adapted to M4(3) standard, with several designed specifically for residents with learning disabilities. Recent developments in areas such as Minehead have also provided fully adapted wheelchair homes and bungalows as part of wider affordable housing schemes.

 "We are committed to continue our work with communities, developers and housing partners to ensure that new homes meet the needs of residents now and in the future. Our ambition is to expand choice, promote independence and to continue to support people to live well in homes that truly work for them."

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