Work has begun on the next phase of Stroud District Council’s plan to build new homes for affordable rent and shared ownership in Nailsworth, Minchinhampton and Eastington.

Thirty-six homes will be built across three sites at a cost of £5.3million, of which eleven will be for older people.

The work is part of Stroud District Council’s New Council Homes programme, and is part of the council’s ongoing commitment to the delivery of much needed affordable homes across the district:

  • Ringfield Close, Nailsworth: Work has started to build 20 homes on the site of a former sheltered housing scheme, with an anticipated completion date of December 2021.
  • Summersfield Road, Minchinhampton: Seven homes will be built, starting in March with an anticipated completion date of September 2021.
  • Broadfield Road, Eastington: Nine bungalows for older people will be built, starting in March with an anticipated completion date of October 2021.

Stroud District Council is the only local authority in Gloucestershire which still owns and manages council houses, with the others having transferred them into other social housing organisations.

Cllr Mattie Ross, Chair of Stroud District Council’s Housing Committee said: “Affordable housing is a key priority for the Stroud District Council and these homes demonstrate our ongoing commitment to positively contributing to the provision of affordable, good quality homes that meet current and future needs. “

Stroud District Council’s strategy for new council homes sets out a detailed specification for building new council homes that addresses energy efficiency, good space standards, flexibility, adaptability and safety. The specification takes into account the council’s commitment for the entire district to achieve carbon neutral status by 2030, and the three schemes will deliver a minimum 27% reduction on carbon emissions from current building regulations and a minimum EPC rating of B with a `fabric first’ approach and the installation of heat pumps and solar PV panels.

In these latest building projects, more than 90% of material from the old properties will be reused or recycled - masonry will be crushed on site and used for constructing the foundations and roads. Metal, wood, plastic and glass will be removed and recycled at a sorting depot.

A total of 239 homes were built by Stroud District Council for its own stock between 2014 and 2019.

As Stroud district’s population of 118,130 is predicted to grow to 136,000 by 2041 these homes are part of an action plan to build 111 more by 2022/23 to address the rising population.