A HOUSING company will be lending a hand to first-time buyers at its new development in Siddington, near Cirencester.

Bloor Homes is busy developing The Gateway; 55 homes off Siddington Road on the edge of town and is also promising a children's playground and a large area of open space.

The government’s Help to Buy scheme will be available on 28 of the homes and nine homes will be offered to first-time buyers with strong links to the area under a shared ownership scheme.

With Help to Buy people can secure a new home with a five per cent deposit and a 75 per cent mortgage. The remaining 20 per cent is provided as an equity loan backed by the government which is interest-free for five years.

Help to Buy is available to first-time and next-time buyers on homes priced up to £600,000.

Bloor homes sales manager Paula Gwilliam said: "We are expecting to find high demand for Help to Buy when we release our first homes at The Gateway.

"Buying a home in a desirable market town like Cirencester can be prohibitively expensive for young families in particular, but Help to Buy changes this. Since the scheme launched in April 2013 it has helped thousands of people to buy their first home or to trade up to a bigger home or a better location.

Bloor Homes will be building one, two, three and four-bedroom homes at The Gateway. Help to Buy will be available on three and four-bedroom properties.

As part of its planning agreement, Bloor will be creating a recreation area and a children’s playground. Almost 40 per cent of the site will be retained as landscaped open space.

Bloor Homes will also contribute more than £30,000 towards improvements at Siddington Village Hall and more than £10,000 to improve local library services. Some homes at the development will be made available as affordable rental properties.