Reading council commits nearly £30m to build homes

The Willows on Hexham Road could be demolished and replaced with council housing

A council has committed nearly £30m to a new housebuilding project.

Reading Borough Council said it will deliver 211 homes and council houses by 2025, although 99 of the properties have yet to be approved.

Councillor Doug Creswell said there is "a clear need" for larger, three and four bedroom dwellings.

But strategic housing services manager Sarah Tapliss said not all sites lend themselves to houses, with the land being better used as flats.

The council unanimously agreed to the housebuilding project at the housing, neighbourhoods and communities committee meeting.

In total 36 homes would be built on Hexham Road and 63 on the Central Pool site in Battle Street, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service .

It also said that The Willows on Hexham Road could also be demolished and replaced with council housing.

Among the 112 remaining homes, 31 would be flats with one bedroom, 29 would be two-bed flats and houses, 28 flats and homes would have three bedrooms, and three would be four bedroom homes.

The authority recommended £29.6m be invested as part of its new build and acquisitions programme.

The budget will be made up of £12.8m from developer contributions to affordable housing, £10.5m of housing revenue account (HRA) borrowing, and £6.3m from Right to Buy (RTB) receipts.