10:30am Friday 30th July 2010
By Matt Smith
THE first bricks are being laid for the first new council homes in Southampton for over 15 years.
Some 53 new energy efficient council homes will be built in the city thanks to £3.3m of Government funding, matched by the City Council.
The first four three bedroom houses are being built at Flamborough Close in Millbrook.
The homes are being built on disused land and underused garage sites across the city.
Over the next year 33 new homes will go up in Borrowdale Road, Pennine Way/Chiltern Green, and Flamborough Close in Millbrook; Keynsham Road, Bitterne, Orpen Road, Sholing and Grateley Close, Weston.
A further 20 houses and flats will then be built in Cumbrian Way, Millbrook and Leaside Way, Swaythling.
Tory Councillor Peter Baillie, the city’s new housing boss, said: “We have listened to what our residents want and this is why we are building a high proportion of family houses with gardens and all are built to very high energy efficiency standards – which will save tenants money on their heating bills.”
The Government’s Homes and Communities Agency provided funding for the new homes through the Local Authority New Build programme set up by Itchen MP John Denham’s former department.
HCA south east director David Edwards said: “I’m delighted to see work start on the first new council homes in Southampton for 15 years.
“Our partners have worked extremely hard to deliver the next generation of council homes for the city, with energy efficient technology, and have listened closely to the community that they serve.”
Southampton City Council is struggling with 13,887 people on its housing waiting list and needs to build 1,000 more affordable homes a year to keep pace with growing demand, stoked by high house prices and a rising population.
The council has a stock of 17,025 houses, mostly flats.
After the Tory Government of the 1980s allowed tenants to buy their own homes under the right to buy the city lost around 10,000 council houses.
Rules that have prevented the council from borrowing against its housing stock have largely left social housebuilding to housing associations through the Government funded Housing Corporation.
The new homes in Southampton are being built by Drew Smith. They will be managed by the Radian housing association.
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