South Somerset announces New Homes

South Somerset District Council has announced that 400 new affordable homes will be built across the area before 2011.

The council believes the news will bring good news for people in need of housing, the local economy and for those working in connection with the building industry.

The figure is being announced by the council, which over the last three months has attracted nearly £18m in Homes and Communities Agency funding, and has itself contributed close to £1m to help bring forward major new development.

Most of the affordable homes will be built over four main sites – the recently announced Lyde Road in Yeovil, where work will begin on 169 affordable homes by the end of 2011 and a further 124 in the following years as the site is built out, 107 between two sites in Wincanton at New Barns Farm and Deansley Way, and a 62-home sheltered housing scheme at Jocelyn Park in Chard.

Over 350 of the new homes will be for rent and provide much needed accommodation for those in greatest housing need.

The council has worked with five housing associations including Yeovil-based Yarlington Housing Group, formerly known as South Somerset Homes and three private developers to make progress on these schemes this year.

The council’s housing spokesman, Cllr Ric Pallister, said: “The key in this unpredictable economic climate is to establish the funding and support that developers need before they can confidently go ahead and build essential affordable housing.

“This is exactly what South Somerset District Council has been working to achieve and the 400 homes announced is just the start. We are not just talking about these developments, they are reality and we have secured the funding needed to make sure they actually happen where they are desperately needed.

“There was a desperate shortage of affordable housing across the country before the current recession but the situation is now much worse and the backlog of unmet need is increasing. “According to the latest National Housing Federation’s “Home Truths” publication, South Somerset outperformed all district councils in the South West in delivering new affordable housing, and is again bucking the trend and making real progress in difficult times.

“It’s only April and fully funded schemes totalling around 400 homes are already secured and in the pipeline and more will come forward as the year progresses. This is one of the council’s top priorities and we will not stop working to address this important issue for our residents.”
The news is expected to be received well by those working in the construction industry and people in housing need.

Cllr Pallister added: “There are over 3,500 households currently awaiting housing or rehousing in South Somerset of which some 1,000 are in priority need - the demand is high and growing.
“As everyone knows, building new housing is not something that can be done overnight but we’re pleased to be moving steadily along at a rate much higher than the vast majority of councils across the country.

“It is good news for all. You just have to think of all the tradesmen involved such as scaffolders, plasterers, kitchen fitters, electricians and decorators to realise that new housing development also represents a lifeline to the building industry in the current recession.”

Source: Chard & Ilmister News