PEOPLE looking for a home in the Bridgwater area are facing a massive struggle – with rents rocketing and Hinkley C about to crank up demand.

That’s according to Sedgemoor District Council, whose housing team has published a report this week which says rents on some types of home in the district have more than doubled in just two years.

The report said: “Evidence is showing a marked increase in market rents in the Sedgemoor area from £209 for a one bedroom property in July 2011 to £455 for a one-bed property in July 2013.

“The continued use of the private rented sector will face a new challenge from the proposed EDF Hinkley C nuclear power station.”

The report said a “substantial number” of EDF workers would be looking for rented accommodation.

EDF Energy is proposing two worker campuses in Bridgwater, as well as on-site accommodation at Hinkley C, to house a total of 1510 workers.

It says it is focused on ensuring the campuses are as attractive as possible and equipped with the best possible facilities to ensure they are fully occupied.

But Dave Baxter, Sedgemoor’s strategic housing manager, told the Mercury: “Hope-fully if the campuses are used to capacity then it will be fine, but if people don’t want to live in these campuses then they will turn to private rented accommodation.

“The assumptions for Hinkley C have also been that people will travel up to 45 minutes to the site but if people decide to live closer then obviously Bridgwater will be hit.”

On the current rental situation in Sedge-moor, Mr Baxter said: “There is a shortage of rented accommodation. The market has responded but not quickly enough.

“Young people in particular are finding it increasingly hard to find a home.”

Paul Calcutt, lettings manager at CJ Hole, in Bridgwater, said there had been a significant increase in outside investors looking for buy-to-let properties for when Hinkley C begins.

He said: “I don’t think we need any more flats but we need houses. We are looking for stock for these investors.”

Richard Curtis, director at Hollands and Curtis in Bridgwater, and Andrew Lees, of Andrew Lees Lettings, said they had confidence in EDF’s plans for worker accommodation. Both also said they had seen no evidence of rents shooting up on the scale described by the district council.

Mr Lees said: “Rents are probably about the same in Bridgwater as a few years ago, I would say. It’s hard to predict what the future will hold with Hinkley, but they’ve obviously thought about accommodation.”

Mr Curtis added: “The market is changing. I think people now find it easier to buy. The Government schemes have helped.”