18/01/10 £3.4m For Affordable Homes - Ashford

Ashford Borough Council has been given a further £3.4m to build much needed affordable homes for local people.

The council has successfully bid for the cash from the Local Authority New Build programme managed by the government’s Homes and Communities Agency.

The council was previously awarded £1.7m in September which would have enabled the authority to build 25 new homes. This latest injection means the council can now press ahead and build 80 homes.

All the new homes are planned for small brownfield sites on land already owned by the council in urban areas such as Kennington and Willesborough and villages including Biddenden and Great Chart.

Ashford is one of only a handful of councils in the south east to begin building social housing after the introduction of new rules which allow councils some financial freedom.

The cash injection means the council will be able to begin building homes as early as March.

Cllr Peter Wood Portfolio Holder for Housing and Property said, “We are very pleased to have been successful in bidding for this money.

“With an increasing population it is now more important than ever to be providing further affordable housing in our borough through small scale developments on parcels of currently under utilised land.

“Our intention is to make the best use of under utilised sites we already have in many of our neighbourhoods, bringing them back into use but at the same time ensuring this is done in a way which complements what is already there and carried out in a way which reflects the needs of our diverse communities.

“We are very pleased to be making better use of our land holdings and at the same time regenerating local communities and adding value to the lives of local people.

“Tracey Kerly, Head of Housing added, “Our successful funding bids show the confidence Ministers have in this council’s housing service and our ability to provide much needed, good quality homes for local families efficiently and cost effectively.”

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