Cockfield to get 51 new affordable homes to help low income families
Plans for 51 affordable homes to be built in Cockfield have been put in place by Suffolk County Council.
The houses, which will offer low income families in rural areas the opportunity to get on the property ladder, will be built on a 4.5 acre site which is owned as part of the council's County Farms estate.
Cllr Richard Smith, cabinet member for finance, said: "We want to make the most of the local assets we have as an authority and work with experienced partners to deliver the homes and services our communities need in years to come.
"We take a dynamic approach to finding ways to meet the continuing financial challenges we face as a council and this project will result in financial returns that can be used to support the front-line services we continue to deliver to local residents. I am very pleased that there is consensus to proceed with this development in Cockfield.
“We are a largely rural county and we want to see local rural communities thrive. We are treating this as a pilot project and as we move forward with this work, we may find other sites that offer similar potential opportunities to deliver the housing that’s needed as our population continues to grow in the future.”
With the support of the local planning authority, Suffolk County Council has confirmed plans for:
- 12 affordable rented homes for local people
- six affordable shared ownership homes
- five homes specifically for first time buyers
- five bungalows for local residents who wish to downsize
- 14 houses to be sold on the open market
- Nine self-build plots (five of which are primarily aimed at providing affordable homes for local people)
The proposed work, which was approved by Babergh District Council Development Control Committee in March, is expected to take around two years to complete.
