New council homes are on the way for Surfleet and Crowland but council leader Gary Porter says he’d like to build more than the half dozen on the drawing board.
South Holland District Council is seeking planning consent to build four two-bedroom houses on land behind numbers 1-17 Coalbeach Lane South, Surfleet, and two two-bedroom houses in Millfield Gardens, Crowland.
The last “big” housing scheme from the council was in 2005-2006 when 22 were put up for homeless families, but since then there’s been very few.
Coun Porter says: “It’s a steady trickle but we need lots. I would like to build 200 a year.”
He would like to plough all the money received from council house sales into building more homes, but the Government doesn’t allow that.
Surfleet Parish Council chairman Glynn Waltham welcomed the news that council homes for rent are to become available in Surfleet, but says the top priority for the village is affordable homes for sale so people can get onto the property ladder.
“The village desperately needs it,” he said. “We have been desperately badgering the district council for it – we have offered them several pieces of land and they have turned it down.”
Coun Waltham says the village needs more homes for young people.
He said: “They use the village shop, they use the school and the bus service and everything ticks along.”
Crowland Parish Council chairman Mike Jackson said new homes are good news because it’s better to keep young people in the town rather than force them to move miles away to find somewhere to live.
“We are always interested in the town expanding,” he said.
Coun Jackson said Crowland has two estate agents and one that appeared closed is now staffed and open – and he’s seen quite a few properties that have got ‘sold’ signs across them, which must be good news for the housing market.