More than 100 much-needed affordable homes are once again to be included in a major housing development after they were previously deemed “unviable”. Rother District Council has given its support to a new option for the Blackfriars site in Battle which would see 130 affordable rented homes and properties for shared ownership back in the plans. The affordable homes element of the development was removed from the 200-home scheme in November last year after increased costs made it unviable, the council said.
But a redesign, led by Rother DC Housing Company Ltd and its board of directors and the appointment of a new main contractor has improved the project’s finances considerably. Councillor Rauri McCourt, the district council’s portfolio holder for housing, said: “We are delighted to support the reintroduction of affordable homes to this important scheme which will go some way to ease the housing shortage in the district and provide accommodation for families wanting to remain in the area. Read more: Car park could be demolished to make way for more than 100 flats “The Blackfriars site has been earmarked for housing for many years and it has taken a great deal of work to get to this point.
I look forward to seeing the development progress and the community benefit from some much-needed low-carbon accommodation in the area that will maximise the use of renewable energy technologies. “It is a priority of the government to increase the building of genuinely affordable.