Work gets underway next week to turn a derelict site in East Street, Newton Abbot into low rent low carbon council homes.When completed in the autumn, the new homes could be ideal for existing tenants who wish to downsize to a sustainable town centre location, freeing up family housing in the process.Five homes will be built on the site of a former shop which was demolished in the 1990s, creating two large one bedroom, wheelchair accessible flats on the ground floor with a mix of one and two bedroom flats on the first and second floors.

The carbon reducing, environmentally friendly development includes roof top solar panels, electric heating, highly insulated building fabric and two charging points for electric vehicles.

Executive lead for Housing Martin Wrigley said:  “Last year we began building new homes at Drake Road.  That was our first council housing development for a quarter of a century. This site at East Street shows our commitment to continue delivering genuinely affordable rented homes for local families.“This development will provide much needed homes and demonstrates how to meet local housing needs and reduce the impact on the environment at the same time“It also underlines a desire by the council to meet annual housing targets set by the government by first developing brownfield sites in town and village centres before building is undertaken in the countryside.”

Local contractor Prime Build South West Limited, which is undertaking the Drake Road development, has also been appointed to deliver this project following a competitive tender and the scheme has been part funded by a Homes England grant.

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