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More than 500 affordable homes 'in the pipeline'

Sophie Parker
BBC News, Wiltshire
Wiltshire Council A row of three terrace houses. Two of them are brick while the third is half brick and half white rendering. They all have large porches and black windows on both floors.Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council has been finding ways to fund new social housing in the county.

More than 500 new affordable homes are "in the pipeline" in Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Council set itself a target to create 1,000 affordable homes across the county by 2030.

It says it has so far delivered 173 homes with 40 more nearing completion and 533 planned.

Cabinet member for housing Phil Alford explained there are about 3,800 people on the council's social housing register, adding these homes are "making an impact" but are only "part of the solution".

The council has been using funding from several sources to create the homes, including from right to buy, developer contributions and Homes England funding.

Wiltshire Council A group of men stand at a levelled building site which is surrounded by a wooden fence and homes. They are all in coats looking at a large piece of paper which looks like a plan.Wiltshire Council
Contractors have been appointed to design and build 60 affordable apartments for older people in Melksham.

Before setting the target in 2020, the authority had already been creating new affordable rental homes, but this programme planned to increase investment and find new ways of doing it - including by acquiring and refurbishing properties from the Ministry of Defence.

One of the places affordable homes are planned is on the site of the council's old library building in Melksham, where it wants to build 60 affordable apartments for older people.

The homes are being built or renovated to be eco-friendly and cheap to heat.

"Energy efficiency is at the forefront of the programme as it will reduce running costs for residents and particularly benefit those on low incomes or state pension," Mr Alford said.

Councillor Phil Alford in waistcoat and tie standing outside the council headquarters, looking at the camera.
Councillor Phil Alford said it is "an ambitious programme"

The social housing register number is smaller than it has been previously in Wiltshire - Mr Alford said the council has invested in officers who work with people who are at risk of being evicted or moving into temporary accommodation.

"They will work with them so they don't get into a position of being made homeless in the first place," he said.

He said the picture in Wiltshire is similar to the one seen nationally.

"Housing has never been more expensive and there's never been so much demand with so little housing stock," he said.

"When you combine the the fact that many landlords have withdrawn from the market, that makes it more difficult for those individuals who are renting at the moment."

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