NEARLY 50 affordable homes are set to be built after planning permission was granted for new family houses and bungalows.

The new homes in the Parkside area of Seaham are part of a £30m development project by County Durham Housing Group to bring more affordable homes to communities across the region.

The development, on a brownfield site near Laburnum Crescent, will provide 30 new three bedroom houses and 18 bungalows that offer a mix of two and three bedrooms.

Permission for the development has been granted by Durham County Council, subject to a section 106 agreement. Construction is expected to start in Spring 2018 with the first families expected to move in in early 2019.

When complete, all of the bungalows will be offered for affordable rent and will be available to let via Durham Key Options. The houses are all set to be offered on a rent-to-buy basis, offering a vital first step onto the housing ladder for 30 families.

The houses are part of a major programme of new house building by County Durham Housing Group, which will see around 300 new homes built on sites between the Tyne and the Tees.

The housing group’s head of developmentand commercial propery, Kate Abson, said: “This project has been designed to deliver the affordable homes that Seaham needs.

“We expect interest in the rent-to-buy properties to be very high and we know there is also strong demand for affordable bungalows in the area. The Parkside site is an important development for us and shows our commitment to providing affordable homes where they are most needed in the county.

"We can’t wait to get started on site.”

Featuring high levels of insulation, the latest heating systems and double glazing; the new homes are expected to bring big savings to tenants when compared with older homes, particularly those in the private rented sector.