WORK is expected to get underway next week on a multi-million pound affordable housing development on the edge of a village.

Building work on the first phase of the £3.3m development at The Green, on the edge of Nettlesworth, near Chester-le-Street, is scheduled to start in the next few days.

The news came as Durham County Council gave the go-ahead for the second phase of the development, which is expected to get underway in late spring or early summer.

The first phase will see the building of eight two-bedroom bungalows and 16 two-bedroom houses.

Members of the council’s Area Planning North Committee met on Thursday and granted Galliford Try Partnerships’ application for planning permission for the second phase of another 19 two-bedroom bungalows.

The new properties, which lie between Bell’s Buildings and Broadmires Terrace to the south and the village playing fields to the north, will be owned by Cestria Community Housing and made available for affordable rent.

Two existing bungalows on the site will be demolished to make way for the new development.

Senior planning officer Colin Harding told the meeting at County Hall, in Durham that officials were recommending the development be granted permission.

He said: “This development is 100 per cent affordable and the mix of housing within it reflects a local need”.

However, councillors gave the scheme unanimous approval, subject to a number of conditions.

Councillor Olga Milburn told the meeting: “It’s nice to see a major development which is entirely made up of social housing.”

Committee chairman Coun Carl Marshall added: “This is going to create social housing at a time when there clearly isn’t as much social housing as there needs to be.”

After the meeting, Paul Fiddaman, chief executive of Cestria Community Housing, said:"This is a very exciting time for Cestria - last year we completed our first new build development at Crossleas in Sacriston and this week work started on our second development in Primrose Crescent, in Bournmoor.

"Now we have permission for the second phase of The Green development in Nettlesworth we're looking forward to starting work here too in the coming weeks.

"We know that there is a real shortage of affordable housing in this area and so are pleased to be able to provide these much-needed, high quality homes for local families.

“We're sure there will be high demand for these properties once they are completed."