THE sale was approved this week of former Wellington care homes Popham House and The Court for a housing development.

But Somerset County Council, which owns the site, has reserved the right if necessary to keep the properties until next March if there was to be a local spike in Covid-19 cases.

The homes were adapted by the council in response to the coronavirus emergency as potential care centres to be used if needed.

When handed over, the 2.86 acres of land set between Mantle Street and Courtland Road will house at least 25 homes, although it was not clear how many would be flats converted from the two buildings and how many would be new build properties.

The price paid and the purchaser have not been disclosed by the county council but the properties had been advertised for £750,000 and the fact a ‘key decision’ was taken to agree the sale meant the value of the deal had to be more than £500,000.

Deputy council leader and resources portfolio holder Cllr Mandy Chilcott took the ‘key decision’ on Tuesday, two days before the official deadline for bids to be submitted to Greenslade Taylor Hunt, which marketed the properties.

For the full story see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.