SEDGEMOOR District Council has been awarded almost £3million from the Government for providing new homes.

Under the new homes bonus scheme, councils are awarded funds based on the amount of extra council tax revenue generated by building new homes and bringing empty homes back into use.

Sedgemoor’s payment for 2014/15 from the Government is £2,976,129 and there are no restrictions on what the money can be used for.

John Thomson, chief executive for SHAL Housing which has built new homes in Sedgemoor, said: “We have this summer completed 16 new homes in Woolavington specifically for people who have close connections with the village, such as relatives.”

Councils across the country received over £2billion with councils in the South-West getting a combined total of £264million