Newark and Sherwood District Council to implement further 68 council-owned homes this year

A further 68 council-owned homes are expected to be built in the coming year.

It is part of Newark and Sherwood District Council's plan to build 335 affordable homes over five years.

The authority says 61 new homes were delivered in 2021/22 and added to its stock of properties leased or rented to tenants.

The further 68 homes will be delivered in the coming months, the authority says, with a number of developments either currently under construction or awaiting planning permission.

The council is in its third year of the plan, launched in 2018, which will see the 335 extra affordable properties created across the district by 2023.

Affordable housing includes social rented, affordable rented and intermediate housing.

The council says at the time of approving the five-year target that the homes would help to meet the requirements of younger people, families and older people in its towns and villages.

Now a leading councillor on the authority has confirmed the council is on track to meet the 335-home target by next year.

Tim Wendels, the council’s portfolio holder for homes and health, provided the update to the cabinet on Tuesday evening.

He said: “We’re now moving into the third year of the programme and we’re on target to construct 335 properties.

“I’ve been inside a number of these properties and they are of excellent quality, they look like private houses and they’re as good as private houses.

“They’re what our tenants deserve and I’m delighted we’ve been so successful with that programme. Hopefully, we can find the funding to continue going forward at the end of this [plan period].”

It comes as the cabinet approved a further five homes to be added to its stock on redundant green space next to Rolleston Village Hall.

Cabinet members gave their backing for the land, currently used as an overspill carpark for the hall, to be sold to developer Arkwood Developments Ltd.

The price of the land sale was not made public, but council documents confirm the sale will allow for five affordable, council homes to be built on the land alongside three separate homes for sale on the market.

The council will work with the company to build the homes and will share the costs of the development including the access road, utility works and groundwork.

And, alongside the new homes, the council states it has also delivered two further supported living schemes in Newark and Ollerton through its property-building project.

This comes alongside a partnership with local construction firm Woodhead Construction to provide work experience opportunities to young people interested in careers in the industry.

This includes training and courses delivered to employees and 14 job opportunities being created.