A MULTI-MILLION pound Dudley Council project to build homes for private sale is gathering pace – with work on a second development in Amblecote already underway.

The local authority announced plans earlier this year to invest £12.5 million to build homes for sale.

It is is the first time in decades the council has been in a position to build private homes and it plans to build 79 homes across four sites, 59 being for outright sale and the remaining 20 available for council tenants to rent.

Work is already underway on the first scheme and contractors are on site carrying out preliminary works on the second development, on the site of the former Amblecote House, Brettell Lane.

The second development, which will be marketed as Red House Mews, will include 20 new homes, 16 of which will be sold on the open market and the rest will be rented. There will be ten three-bedroom houses and ten two-bedroom houses.

Councillor Gaye Partridge, Dudley’s cabinet member for housing, said: “Our priority is to create good quality homes for our residents to meet the demands of the housing market shortage.

“We already have significant developments underway through our new build project, which has already provided hundreds of rental homes for local people who are not in a position to buy.

“But we also understand that some people do want to take that first step on the property ladder and we are pleased we are now able to contribute to the local private housing market too.

“It means we can help people buy homes at local and competitive rates and importantly generate an income that can be used to support and improve council services for everyone in our communities.”

The council has lined up housing partner and local developer Jessup to build the properties on its behalf and is working with local estate agent Lee Shaw to market them.

Planning permission for a further 51 homes has also been approved on the sites of the former Mere Centre in Norton, Stourbridge, and St Thomas’ Network in Dudley.

For more information about Red House Mews people can call Lee Shaw on 01384 396066.