Council confirms new housing site in Hereford

Land in Hereford will be the first to be used for a programme of new council-backed housing, it has been announced.

Herefordshire Council said it has agreed to buy land in the central Widemarsh ward, and had set aside £400,000 for it.

“It is intended that they will be affordable in perpetuity, allowing future households who share protected characteristics to have access to appropriate accommodation,” its statement said.

The council had already committed to delivering 1,000 new homes, and to develop its own housing stock.

The new city-centre development will be built in line with the council’s recently approved sustainability standards.

As a result they should have high levels of sustainability and energy efficiency , both in building and in maintaining them, while the urban site will give residents the option of walking or using public transport.

The council says it also aims to use of local materials and labour wherever possible.

Cabinet member for housing Coun Ange Tyler said: “It is wonderful to see this purchase agreed, with a view to constructing some much-needed new housing in the city of Hereford.

“These new homes will generate as much renewable energy as they use, through a combination of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy generation and storage.”

She said the policy of high sustainability standards “are not only good for the environment, it also increases the value of a house, meaning a greater return on investment for the council, for developers, and for homeowners”.

The council has not published details of the site or the purchase, saying this is confidential.