Second round of new council homes completed in Lincoln

Five new eco-friendly council homes have been completed in Lincoln – bringing the total to 10 new homes in the last two years.

The first tenants are expected to move into the new properties in Stapleford Court, off Stapleford Avenue, within a fortnight.

The first five Lincoln council houses to be built in 20 years were completed in 2012 as the council began enforcing plans for an accelerated programme of house building.

Last month, the city council’s Executive Committee agreed to earmark £15 million to provide more than 150 new council homes over the next six years.

The council manages and maintains nearly 8,000 council homes but has a growing waiting list of around 2,775 people.

Work on the Stapleford Court site, which formerly contained 10 disused garages, started in October 2013.

The site now contains two semi-detached houses and three townhouses, each with car-parking space and gardens.

Built to Code 4 of the national building standard ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’, each of the two semi-detached houses and three townhouses in Stapleford Avenue also feature solar panels among a range of other energy-saving measures.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said Lincoln is starting to lead the way in housing developments when he visited the housing project on Wednesday, May 21.

Photo: Stuart Wilde

Council Leader Ric Metcalfe attended the official opening of the new homes, along with Chairman of project partner Lindum Group.

Councillor Metcalfe said: “It’s a great pleasure to see these homes completed and ready to receive their first tenants.

“Two of our main priorities are to increase the supply of affordable housing in Lincoln and protect the city’s poorest people. This development is just the beginning of a hugely significant investment as we address the urgent need for more affordable housing in the city.

“We have committed £15 million to build new council homes on a much larger scale as we work to get people off the housing waiting list and into homes.

“We are pleased residents at Stapleford Avenue will also benefit from the eco-friendly qualities of these properties – saving the environment and saving money on their energy bills.”

David Chambers, Chairman of Lindum Group, said: “As a local company it is always rewarding to work on projects within our own community and we are particularly proud to be helping City of Lincoln Council provide more modern, energy efficient homes for local families in Lincoln.

“Many of our employees and their families live in and around Lincoln so they really appreciate what a difference these quality homes can make.

“The site at Stapleford Avenue is being transformed from old garages to brand new houses which will not only improve the area, but will also make a vast difference to the lives of those who will live in them.”