A LANDLORD has announced plans for one of the biggest housebuilding programmes in its nearly 120-year history.

Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association (DAMHA) is to spend more than £12m to build 106 new affordable homes across County Durham over the next five years.

Work on 31 two-bedroom bungalows in Ushaw Moor, Coxhoe and Philadelphia will start this year and be completed in stages by the end of 2018.

Another 75 homes will be built over the following four years, part-funded with a £1.9m grant from the Homes and Communities Agency – the Government body that funds new homes in England.

The locations of the new homes has yet to be decided.

Paul Mullis, Chief Executive of DAMHA, said: “There is a real shortage of high quality, two-bedroom bungalows for rent in County Durham so the homes we will be building will go some way to meeting the need that exists for properties like this.

“This represents one of the largest housebuilding programmes in our long history and we are excited about getting started.

“All of the homes will be allocated to older people in housing need across County Durham.”

Homes and Communities Agency Chairman Sir Ed Lister said: “The expanded affordable housing programme will help us continue to work with both housing associations and developers new to this area of the housing market to increase the availability of affordable homes.

“It will allow providers the flexibility and agility to respond to local needs and markets.

“This will boost housebuilding by encouraging providers to deliver a mix of homes for both affordable rent and low-cost ownership that is most suited to each place.”