New Council Houses to be Built

Council houses are to be built in South Tyneside for the first time in nearly a decade.

Cabinet this week approved the construction of at least 250 new homes built for rent, following previous changes to the cap on council borrowing limits and grant funding conditions.

The first phase will see two-bedroomed houses, apartments and bungalows built at sites in Henderson Road, South Shields, and Hindmarch Drive, Boldon.

South Tyneside Homes will carry out the construction works and manage the developments on behalf of the council.

Cllr Ed Malcolm, Chair of South Tyneside Homes' Board, welcomed the news. He said: "We have always been proactive about building council houses and I am delighted that we are to begin building once again.

"These homes will be for people who are currently on the Council's housing waiting list and will help meet local need.   

"We're committed to providing much-needed affordable homes across the Borough and, 100 years after we first started building council houses in South Tyneside, I think these new developments will be a fantastic example of what we can achieve now."

The homes will be built over the next five years, through the Housing Revenue Account, following the easing of restrictions.

Cllr Malcolm added: "I'm looking forward to watching these developments take shape and seeing the houses become comfortable, happy homes for families across the Borough."

Cabinet also agreed for Centaurea Homes to appraise further sites to deliver up to 200 new high-quality homes for sale, following the success at Langdale Grange, with profits from land sales reinvested into council priorities rather than lost to private companies.

South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust, which has provided 440 affordable homes over the last five years, will also deliver at least 350 specialist homes to support the council's Adult Social Care Accommodation Strategy. The council will provide land and loan finance to support the independent company and ensure that the right types of homes are provided for all communities in the Borough.