Durham plans first phase of £70m house building programme

Proposals for the first part of a £70m plan to build 500 new homes for rent will be discussed by Durham county councillors this month. 

Detailed work on this first phase will start on assessing the individual sites and designing the site layout and detailed house plans.

The programme also ties in with Durham’s towns and villages strategy, which provides a mechanism for accelerating the delivery of regeneration projects including those which are part of its housing strategy.

Phase 1 is made up of sites in the following locations:

• Brandon
• Bridgehill
• Burnhope
• Ferryhill
• Murton
• New Kyo
• Seaham.

‘The council is starting its building programme by initially committing to 500 new homes over the next five years which will help meet the outstanding needs of our local people and importantly deliver them at affordable rents,’ said cabinet member for strategic housing and assets, Cllr Kevin Shaw.

‘Access to good quality housing is fundamental to the wellbeing of people of all ages and we especially need to consider our elderly. With these proposals the council is also demonstrating its commitment to building strong and stable local communities.

‘This investment by the council could not have come at a more important time. With coronavirus impacting on our communities and the economy in County Durham, the additional £70m will bring vital extra spend and new jobs and training opportunities into the county,’ added Cllr Shaw.

‘I am very excited by the journey the council is setting off on and I look forward to the day, in the not too distant future when someone, on behalf of the council, is able to say to the first of many new council tenants “congratulations, here are the keys to your new council home”.’

Photo Credit – Borevina (Pixabay)