£28m council home building funding bid

More than £10 million will be sought from the Government to help build 208 council homes in the Black Country to help ease the housing crisis.

Sandwell Council's cabinet will tomorrow discuss plans to spend £28 million, including £18 million in loans, to build homes in six streets. Sites nclude Ocker Hill Road, Tipton; Devereux Road, West Bromwich; Kent Close and Denbigh Drive, West Bromwich, and Raglan Road, Smethwick. About 9,000 people in Sandwell are waiting for a council home.

In a report Peter John, director of housing and partnerships, says it is proposed to seek £10,816,000 funding and prudential borrowing approvals of £18,469,941 to support development of the affordable homes.

It is likely to be one of the largest council bids within the West Midlands region.

The Devereux Road site would mean building on the site of the former Kenrick and Jefferson sports club field which is used by youngsters but is not a formal sports field.

It has been left empty for more than 15 years since the club house that used to be there burned down.

Residents said that they believe the area will become overcrowded, children will have nowhere to play and too many cars will be driving down the already congested streets.

Neighbourhood watch co-ordinator Lesley Roberts, aged 53, of Poplar Grove, said: "We don't want more homes built on a piece of green land.

"The council has left it in a poor state for years but they recently tidied it up because they want to put something there."

Housing chief Councillor Mahboob Hussain said: "I'm very confident that the funding bid will be approved. I think the proposals are strong enough."

Last month the council discovered it had won funding to build 28 new homes in Smethwick.

In a bid to cut waiting lists Sandwell Council has also proposed renovating 11 high rise blocks previously scheduled for demolition.

It will borrow £10.7 million to build flats in basements and bring them up to modern standards.