Plans for more social housing approved in Torbay

Members of Torbay Council's cabinet were unanimous in backing the purchase of a piece of land in Brixham

New local authority housing is set to be provided in Devon after councillors signed-off on two projects for 32 homes.

Members of Torbay Council's cabinet were unanimous in backing the purchase of a piece of land in Brixham for up to 14 new homes.

There are also plans to buy 14 already-built homes in Torquay and four in Paignton, which developers have been unable to sell.

Councillor Alan Tyerman said the numbers were a small step when there were 1,600 households on the waiting list for homes. However, he told the committee: "All we can do is take one step forward at a time."

He added: "The size of the housing crisis is such that it is almost impossible to see how we can ever get the number down to zero, but every step in the right direction is valuable."

The location of the Brixham site for building has not been disclosed, but the council has a housing reserve budget of £1.2m from which it will be bought, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

If the land was sold on the open market, it would be unlikely to produce any affordable homes for local families, according to the LDRS.

"By securing it we can make sure it is developed in a way that meets our housing needs," said Tyerman.

Councillor Nick Bye said the move represented good value for money and provided opportunities for local people.

The council said it would also borrow money to buy the 18 homes in Torquay and Paignton, having heard that both as-yet undisclosed sites had been marketed for sale without success.

It said the sites were "well-located" for redevelopments and could be occupied by the end of 2025.