WITH 4,942 people on the Wiltshire Council housing register, some lucky tenants will be hoping to move into new homes in 2023 while others will have to wait.

Wiltshire Council has embarked on a council house build programme which will see around £195 million invested into building new, energy efficient council homes up to 2032.

The council says it will also invest £289 million up to 2032 on improving existing council housing properties to ensure they achieve a minimum energy performance rating of B.

Some of the new homes coming on stream in spring 2023 are being built by Selwood Housing Group in partnership with the council via a Section 106 agreement.

The Trowbridge-based housing association is building a mix of affordable homes on the former John Bull pub site in Studley Green, Trowbridge.

Cllr Phil Alford, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “I’m pleased to see that these much needed affordable homes built in partnership with Selwood Housing are nearly complete.

“This mix of six new affordable rental and three shared ownership homes will mean more people can access high quality affordable housing for rent or get onto the housing ladder. It forms part of our wider vision for affordable, energy efficient homes across the county.

“Affordable rental housing will be allocated in line with the council’s allocation policy based on priority need.

"If people have a housing need but are not eligible for social housing, we will offer support and advice about other options including private lets and low-cost home ownership.”

Paul Walsh, Selwood’s group development director, said: “This site in Studley Green had previously been home to The John Bull pub, which was built in 1950.

“The former pub site had remained vacant for a number of years and Selwood Housing are delighted to have been given the opportunity to invest in the site and help to regenerate the local area.

“Selwood Housing bought the site in March 2021 and works began in summer 2022.

“The site will be developed into a mix of affordable homes, six available for rent and three for shared ownership, which offers a more affordable way of getting onto the property ladder.”

The two and three-bedroomed homes are being built with high-quality design and energy efficiency being at the core. The site is Selwood’s first EPC A-rated development, the highest energy efficiency rating, and is helping to meet the 2030 and 2050 carbon reduction targets.

The energy-efficiency measures include solar panels fitted as standard on the roofs, electric vehicle charging points, air source heat pumps that extract heat from the air to heat the homes and hot water, and slightly thicker wall and loft insulation to keep the homes warm.

“The level of insulation is greater. In most houses, 70 per cent of the heat is lost through the roofs, floors and walls,” Mr Walsh said.

Construction work is expected to complete in spring 2023. The John Bull development – which will be known as Platinum Court after being named by local schoolchildren - received £648,000 part-funding from Homes England.

It will help provide much needed affordable homes within the Trowbridge Community area, which currently has over 500 households on the Wiltshire Council Housing Register. Prospective tenants must be able to show a local connection, and will then be assessed by Wiltshire Council according to strict housing needs criteria.

You can find out more about the development by visiting The John Bull page online. This includes some history of the site and the proposed site plan. If you are interested in learning more about shared ownership, please visit Selwood’s shared ownership page.