Land to be sold for £1 to build affordable homes

Council documents said the land attracted anti-social behaviour

A piece of land is due to be sold by a council for £1 to build affordable bungalows, which are in "high demand".

Sunderland City Council has been recommended to approve the transfer of the site at the city's Cato Street, Southwick, to housing association Bernicia.

The company wants to build 11 bungalows on the land, which the Labour-led council said was valued at £25,000.

A report submitted to the council ahead of its meeting on Thursday said the project would "promote and improve the social wellbeing" of residents.

Bernicia has already developed 37 affordable homes on the nearby site of the former Southwick Primary School.

The Cato Street site was previously occupied by houses, which were demolished due to their "poor state", the council report said.

It added: "Several projects to utilise the land for an enhanced community use have failed with the site attracting regular anti-social behaviour issues."

The documents show Bernicia needed to secure "significant" government funding for the project to go ahead, and there was a "high demand" for affordable bungalows in the area.