Residents can learn more about plans for the construction of new council houses.

Brighton and Hove City Council is hosting a drop-in event to inform residents about plans to build 17 new council homes at Robert Lodge in Whitehawk.

The new one and two bedroom flats would be built on the site of the council’s former Manor Place Housing Office in Whitehawk and the grounds of Sussex Community NHS Trust site Robert Lodge.

A drop-in consultation event for residents at Robert Lodge and surrounding streets will be held between 3pm and 8pm on Tuesday April 29 at the Robert Lodge meeting room.

Residents will be able to see and comment on the latest designs and talk to the architect and council staff.

The council said it expects to apply for planning permission in the summer after taking residents’ feedback into account.

The plans are part of the council’s New Homes for Neighbourhoods programme which aims to reduce the huge demand for housing in the city where nearly 18,000 households are on the Homemove register wanting to rent a council or housing association home.

With a lack of large sites, the council is looking for small ‘infill’ sites on council housing land such as empty offices, garages or estates which could be used to build new homes.

The authority hopes the first new homes to be completed by next year with more being built in the following years with a target of around 500 new homes on council housing land by 2030.

For more information or to suggest a site visit email estate.regeneration@brighton-hove.gov.uk, call 01273 290591 or write to Estate Regeneration Team, Brighton and Hove City Council, Room 506, Kings House, Grand Avenue, Hove, BN3 2SR.