Sod cutting ceremony to start work on affordable homes (From The Advertiser Series)

Sod cutting ceremony to start work on affordable homes

1:06pm Friday 1st February 2013 in News

A SOD cutting ceremony was held by social landlord livin to start work on the development of affordable homes in Newton Aycliffe.

Durham County Council approved the demolition of the disused Greenfields Nursing Home on Greenfield Way, to develop 22 homes.

Homes and communities organisation livin is seeking to develop 11 two-bedroom and 11 three-bedroom homes on the site.

The council gave the scheme approval on the condition that all of the homes would be affordable.

Last week the authority was told by the applicant Galliford Try that it could not get funding for a 100 per cent affordable estate.

Instead it sought to build just seven affordable homes or 30 per cent of the estate.

The councillors approved the change after it heard this was more than double the number of affordable homes normally asked for a plot of this size.

Galliford Try will pay £1,000 per non-affordable home to be invested in open spaces in the area to make up for the loss of affordable homes.

Wayne Harris, livin’s executive director property and development, said: “The Greenfields site is our largest new build development to date.

“The site is part of a £28m investment project to build between 350-400 new homes over the next two years to meet housing shortage locally.”

The homes will boast energy saving features to save tenants money and to reduce the environmental impact.

The first homes on the plot are expected to be completed by October this year.

Steve McCoy, Galliford Try's North-East managing director, said: “We’re delighted to be developing this site with livin.

“Providing energy efficient, affordable homes in the region is one of our key objectives.”