Hundreds of new homes for Herefordshire
More than £24 million grant funding could be spent on providing 843 new affordable homes across Herefordshire in a bid to tackle the County’s desperate housing plight.
About £16 million funding is already being spent on 372 new homes in Hereford, Leominster and Ross as well as other market towns and villages.
A further £7.5 million could be netted from Central Government next spring to provide an additional 131 homes while developers are likely to provide 340 homes over the three years through Herefordshire Council’s innovative planning policies.
Since January 2005, 126 new homes have been provided while a further 246 are planned for completion in the coming months.
Of the 126 homes completed this year, 34 were available to rent, 31 for shared ownership and a further 61 were available for low cost home ownership.
Successfully completed housing schemes include Middlemarsh, Leominster, Withies Road, Withington and Pentland Gardens, Hereford.
Housing developments due for completion in the coming months are Saxon Gate, Hereford, Barton Yard, Hereford and New Mills, Ledbury.
In Hereford, 96 apartments and three bungalows will be built for the over 55s off Ledbury Road as part of a £15 million development. The project is due for completion in the autumn of 2007.
Herefordshire Council, in partnership with local housing associations, developers, the Government and other partner agencies are leading the way in providing new affordable homes.
Cllr Olwyn Barnett, Cabinet Member (Strategic Housing), warned that the Council could not rest on its laurels.
“While we are delighted that we are playing a leading role in building these new homes and giving people a new beginning and new hope, there is a serious shortage of affordable housing in Herefordshire,” she said.
“Currently there are more than 4000 households on the affordable housing register, and around 100 people in temporary accommodation at any one time.
“The latest figures show that 51 families with children were in bed and breakfast accommodation, as were a similar number of single people and couples.
“These statistics only go to reflect the desperate need for more affordable homes and that’s why Herefordshire Council and its partners will continue to work closely to try and meet the needs of these people.”
Herefordshire Council and its partners have been able to provide the extra homes as a result of innovative planning regulations, central government funding and partnership funding.
Under the new planning regulations, developers have to build a percentage of affordable homes as part of a certain housing development.
