THE biggest new council housing development in the city in 30 years was officially opened this week.

The 57-home development in Whitehawk has now been completed, joining a recent 45-home building project and others about to be completed.

Residents of brand new homes at Kite Place in Whitehawk Road joined Councillor Anne Meadows, chairwoman of the housing and new homes committee, at the event.

The homes for rent at Kite Place are a mix of one, two and three bedroom flats. Each of the properties has a balcony or patio, some have sea views, and they are designed to be energy efficient with communal boilers providing hot water and heating.

Six of the homes are designed for wheelchair users and their families, and all the flats are built to the latest accessible and adaptable standards, with lifts to all floors.

The homes were let through Homemove, the council’s lettings system.

Cllr Meadows said: “Building more council homes to meet the city’s pressing housing need is a priority and it’s great to see families settling into these fantastic new flats, right in the heart of the local community in Whitehawk.”

Kite Place is the largest development in the council’s New Homes for Neighbourhoods building programme, which aims to build at least 500 new homes on council land to provide much-needed affordable rented housing. Building began in February 2016.

Finishing touches are currently being made to another 29 new council flats nearby at Hobby Place, next to Whitehawk Community Hub.

Forty-five flats opened in Albion Street opened last month.

And more homes are in the pipeline.

In addition to the council-owned properties being built, work will begin soon at three sites identified for the 1,000 Joint Venture with Hyde housing association which will create properties to rent and buy at values pegged to the national living wage.

The local authority will spend almost £60 million, with the same amount coming from the housing company.

Half the homes will be for rent and 500 will be available for shared ownership.

The sites for the first 300-400 homes are the former Belgrave Day Centre, in Clarendon Place, Portslade, a parcel of land in Coldean Lane, North Varley Halls, Brighton, and land adjoining Brighton Racecourse on the North Whitehawk Urban Fringe Site.