A record number of new homes were built in Bath and North East Somerset during the past year, for the second year in a row.
A total of 871 new homes were built in the 2016/17 financial year, representing the highest number since Bath & North East Somerset Council was created in 1996, and significantly higher than the long-term average over the last 20 years of around 450 per year.
Taking action to deliver new homes and jobs is one of the Council’s priorities, which has set targets for delivering 13,000 new homes, including 3,290 affordable units, between April 2011 and March 2029.
Of the 871 new homes built in the past year, the majority (57%) were on previously developed or brownfield land, and 193 were 'affordable', incuding social housing units.
Councillor Tim Warren, Leader of Council, said: “One of our top priorities as a Council and administration is to deliver more local homes to both buy and rent – and the record number of new homes completed in the past year demonstrates the progress we are making in delivering on this commitment.
“By building more new homes, particularly on brownfield sites, we can help more local people get onto the housing ladder and own a home of their own, whilst at the same ensuring we also have the right mix of social and rented accommodation to meet our area’s needs. We have also earmarked £3.5 million to support the delivery of new affordable housing projects throughout the district in the coming years.”
Councillor Bob Goodman - councillor for Coombe Down in Bath, and Cabinet Member for Development & Neighbourhoods, added: “Housing demand is extremely high within our district so I am delighted that the number of homes built in the past year is the highest since B&NES was created over twenty years ago.
“We are making good progress in delivering new affordable homes, but we would like to do even better. We are committed to increasing the number of affordable homes, which is why the Council is putting direct support into delivering more. We still have a long way to go, but we are determined to ensure that our housing provision enables people to live and prosper in Bath and North East Somerset.”
Almost 1,000 new affordable homes are anticipated to become available by 2020 on around 40 housing developments if the current rate of delivery of new homes continues as predicted. Officially designed 'affordable homes' are currently being built on 12 developments across BathNES as both rented and low cost homes to buy, and will be made available through the Councils Homesearch register.
For full details of this affordable housing delivery please visit: www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/housing/find-home/new-affordable-housing..