WORK is under way to build 10 council flats in Keynsham town centre.
The apartments will be built across two blocks in Danes Lane, opposite the Tesco car park.
The site, behind the Old Bank pub in the High Street, occupies council-owned land that was previously used for informal parking.
The properties are being delivered in partnership with Aequus Construction Limited (ACL), Bath & North East Somerset Council’s development company.
The site in Danes Lane is being developed to provide six one-bed properties and four two-bed properties.
The scheme is part of the B&NES Homes programme, which uses existing council properties and surplus land to deliver affordable homes for residents.
The initial £12m programme has already delivered a range of accommodation, including supported housing and temporary accommodation.
The apartments will be owned directly by B&NES Council to help meet the demand for social housing in the area and will be secured in perpetuity as 100% affordable housing for general needs social rented housing.
The council is also building eight similar properties at the Argyle Works site in Lower Bristol Road, Bath.
Council leader Kevin Guy said: “After decades of underdevelopment in the national housing sector, B&NES Council is playing its part to tackle the affordable housing crisis.
“It was great to see how we are making the most of smaller sites such as these, both of which had been ignored historically because they posed challenges.
“This administration is working tirelessly to find and develop every possible brownfield site, no matter how small, so that we can provide multiple-use accommodation.
“We are making good progress on our commitment to provide the affordable homes that are so badly needed in our area.
“Our B&NES Home programme currently comprises 66 units in operation, with a further 48 units under construction or due to start construction within the next 12-18 months.”
Sally Higham, Aequus chair, added: “Visiting both schemes in their different stages provided a good opportunity to understand how we are overcoming the constraints on each plot in order to develop much-needed properties. Both when finished will be energy efficient and therefore more affordable to run for residents.”
The finished flats will be available through Homesearch, the council’s housing allocation scheme for social rent homes and low-cost home ownership in B&NES. Three of the units at Argyle Works will be set aside for young people.
Pictured above, how the finished flats will look. Below, Aequus chair Sally Higham and Councillor Kevin Guy at the site between Danes Lane and the High Street
