9 September 2009, 09/195
Housing bid success means good news for tenants
West Lancashire Borough Council has won an
£800,000 grant to help build 17 new homes for rent in Skelmersdale
- the first new Council houses in the district for more than 15
years.
Cllr Ian Grant, Leader of the Council, said:
“This is fantastic news for West Lancashire, in particular for
people who need a home to rent. Demand for council houses is
growing in these difficult economic times. This grant will enable
us to kick-start the building of more homes and so help reduce the
time that people have to wait for a home. The grant will cover
approximately half the cost and the remainder will be funded by the
Council from rental income.”
A site has been earmarked in Elmstead,
Tanhouse, for the new development, which would be a mix of 8
two-bedroomed houses, 5 three-bedroomed houses and 4 two bedroomed
bungalows. The properties would be high-quality, energy-efficient
properties that are well-insulated and this would mean lower fuel
bills for the tenants.
The proposals are subject to planning
permission and, subject to approval, it is scheduled that the
houses would be ready for tenants to move in during early 2011.
West Lancs Borough Council made the bid to the
Homes and Communities Agency (the national housing and regeneration
agency for England) under a new scheme launched by the
Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) which, for
the first time for many years, enabled councils to apply
for grants to build new homes for rent. West Lancs is the
only district council in Lancashire to have been awarded a
grant.
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