Portsmouth council set to spend £1.9m on 10 new affordable homes in Wecock Farm

A CRUCIAL £1.9m affordable housing development could be built on a car park to help ease two councils’ waiting lists.
Where the 10 homes could be built in Huntsman Close, Wecock Farm. Picture: GoogleWhere the 10 homes could be built in Huntsman Close, Wecock Farm. Picture: Google
Where the 10 homes could be built in Huntsman Close, Wecock Farm. Picture: Google

Portsmouth City Council is working on proposals to create 10 new affordable homes in Huntsman Close, in Wecock Farm. It will include three properties for Havant residents.

Early plans for the site indicate the homes could be flats with one of them adapted for wheelchair access and 10 car parking spaces provided.

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Funds for the scheme will need to be approved at an upcoming meeting by Portsmouth housing cabinet member Councillor Darren Sanders.

He said: ‘It's crucial that we as a landlord provide homes people can afford.

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‘I am delighted we have had a series of excellent discussions with our colleagues in Havant so that we can provide homes both areas need.

‘We always have discussions with Havant about council-owned land and discussions are ongoing.’

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Figures show that last year there were 488 households, which include Havant and Portsmouth residents, on the Wecock Farm housing waiting list but only 27 available homes.

The car park site is owned by Portsmouth City Council but as part of an agreement with Havant Borough Council 30 per cent of homes there should be offered to Havant residents.

Cllr Tim Pike, cabinet member for planning, said: ‘I would welcome an application that delivered the affordable housing we need.

‘This is part of an an agreement we have with Portsmouth City Council. If they build homes in Havant, 30 per cent should be for our residents.

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‘We know we need socially rented housing. I have spent a lot of time talking to housing associations to ensure we get those delivered.

‘We also work with Two Saints which supports people at risk of homelessness.’

When private developers apply to build housing developments it is standard for councils to require at least 30 per cent are marketed at affordable rates.

Cllr Pike added: 'Clearly there's more to be done but in an area like ours where the cost of providing housing is high it's very challenging to get providers to build any more than 30 per cent affordable homes.

'I feel we are asking the maximum we can from the industry.'

If the cash is approved plans will then need to be submitted for consideration.

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