A NUMBER of rented houses are to be built in villages around Durham to increase the supply, at a cost of more than £3m.

Two-bedroomed bungalows will be built in two schemes in Sherburn Village - seven of the 21 homes will be for shared ownership - and ten bungalows for rent will be built at Esh Winning.

Bowburn will get four two-bedroomed bungalows and two four-bedroomed houses, and the second phase of a development at West Rainton will consist of two three-bedroomed houses and eight two-bedroom bungalows.

The homes will be provided by Nomad Homes, the Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association and the Three Rivers Housing Group.

Their Spirit Partnership, which includes Durham City Council, has received £3m for the developments from the Housing Corporation.

The council's cabinet member for housing, Dennis Southwell, said the schemes would meet the demand for certain types of housing in the villages.

He added that they would also help the council's flourishing communities programme, which aims to breathe new life into the city's former pit communities.

Lynda Peacock, director of development and regeneration for the Three Rivers Housing Group, said: "The Spirit Partnership was developed to build better quality affordable homes more cost-effectively and efficiently."

She added that by working with the council "we are able to provide a mix of housing developments to sustain local communities in the Durham area".