Shropshire Council aims to start house building by late summer

The setting up of the company, which was agreed at a meeting of the authority last week, will see it first look at sites in Monkmoor in Shrewsbury, and Ifton Heath, at St Martin's, near Oswestry.

It has said that work could begin by August on 52 new houses.

The council has also confirmed it is looking at another five sites in the south of the county for developments.

The idea behind the company is to provide homes for people, which are not currently being provided by the commercial market.

It would also bring in revenue for the council, which has seen its finances coming under increasing pressure, with a report on the plans outlining the possibility of a "modest profit".

The report explains that the sites will be made up of more than 40 per cent of affordable housing.

It states: "They have been chosen as they are generally considered relatively straightforward to deliver; are on council-owned land; able to provide a mix of development to help address local housing need; would otherwise be unlikely to be developed by the market; will enable a significantly increased percentage of affordable housing from a mandatory 10 per cent and 20 per cent respectively to over 40 per cent for each."

Challenge

Robert Macey, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for planning and housing development, said: "This decision by council unlocks another way for us to directly address the challenge of unmet housing need that exists in Shropshire. Despite strong years of housing delivery by existing developers, the challenges remain.

“A housing waiting list of over 5,000 individuals and families, coupled with an ageing population who want to live independently for longer and people wanting to live closer to where they work, point towards just some of the needs we are trying to meet.

“It is important that we bring forward more affordable houses to sustain our local towns and villages. We have land and it makes sense that we use this initially to build high-quality homes that people want, need and can afford. It will also help us to shape places and use any income to build even more homes and deliver essential services.

"We intend to work closely with Shropshire-based businesses and partners to help boost the local economy.”

The council said all of the homes will be built according to need, including homes specifically designed for older people, housing for key workers and first time buyers, and former looked-after young people, who need help to get started.