Cannock Council strives to increase the number of affordable homes in the District

Cannock Chase Council has been working closely with house builders and housing providers to increase the affordable housing supply across the District.

In these uncertain economic and political times, the Council has managed to build the first Council housing in 25 years and enable local housing provider partners to deliver further affordable housing in the District.

There are over 1100 applicants on the Council’s housing register and we are actively working with partners to meet the housing needs of our residents.  The Council secures new affordable homes via S.106 agreements with housing developers and also funds direct construction from its own resources.

Councillor Frank Allen, Housing Portfolio Leader said “Despite funding reductions from Government for Social Housing, Cannock Chase Council continues to make progress on this front by working with developers and building directly so that there are more homes available, especially for lower income families”.

At the end of April, the Council received handover of 23 new properties at Green Lane, Rugeley.  The scheme, developed by local developer Jessup, provided 14 one bed flats, 7 two bed houses and 2 two bed bungalows.

Progress on the Council’s redevelopment scheme of the Moss Road Estate is going well.  The Council’s development partner, Keepmoat Homes, has completed 27 new Council houses out of a total 65 being delivered by March 2018.  The mixed tenure site (Council rent and private sale) provides a further 76 new homes which are available under the Government’s Help to Buy Scheme, with properties for purchase available with just a 5% deposit.

The Council have been working with, amongst other housing providers, Walsall Housing Group to deliver over 50 new affordable properties in Lakeside Boulevard, Bridgtown and also with Wrekin Housing Trust to deliver 34 properties on a scheme in Stafford Lane, Hednesford (due to complete in March 2017).

The Council will be delivering a further 25 new Council properties on some of its former garage sites and other under used land.

Novus Property Solutions have been appointed as the development partner for the redevelopment scheme.

There will also be some employment and training opportunities provided as part of the proposed redevelopment scheme, with Novus aiming to support four apprenticeship positions during the development, which will complete in early 2018.

Major housing providers see Cannock Chase as a growth area and in line with the Council’s corporate ambition of ‘More and Better Housing’, we are keen to facilitate the delivery of more affordable homes with the District.

During 2015-16, the Council also secured the delivery of over 200 affordable housing units through the agreement of S.106 planning obligations with housebuilders and local housing providers.  These units will be delivered over the next few years.