New affordable homes to be built

11.08.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 26th May 2009

• PERMISSION has been given for four new affordable homes to be built by Richmond Housing Partnership in Whitton, replacing a set of lock up garages.

The Council's planning committee approved plans to build three, 3-bedroomed homes, and one 4-bedroomed house on the site, adjacent to Ross Road. All four will be two storeys high and all will be within the 'affordable' price bracket, for social rental, aimed at families on the Council's housing waiting list. Every home will have solar panels built in, as well as rainwater collection facilities and space for composting, as part of the Council's drive to improve sustainability in new buildings. Planning officers told the committee although knocking down the garages would mean a small loss of parking spaces, they had not been well used recently and it was not thought likely there would be an unacceptable level of extra on street parking.

Cllr Serge Lourie said "The Liberal Democrat administration is committed to increasing the supply of much needed social rented housing in the borough. This is a small but important step in achieving our objective"