Council homes win approval; Plan for 13 sites agreed.

Byline: By AMY HUNT Environment Reporter

PLANS to build Newcastle's first new council houses in decades have been given the green light.

Around 300 homes will be built on up to 13 council owned sites in a programme unveiled by Your Homes Newcastle (YHN).

Newcastle City Council's executive approved the plans, which it hopes will help get families on the property ladder and builders back to work.

Recent figures show the North East's housing waiting list is above 95,000, and housing bosses have said they will create a new charity to keep properties for future generations after losing 15,000 houses in 10 years through right-to-buy and demolition.

Planned sites include areas of Benwell, Blakelaw and Gosforth.

Investigations will now be done into each of the sites to look at planning requirements and the mix of council housing and homes for sale that could be built on them.

YHN chief executive John Lee said: "This is a potential list of sites, and it is not guaranteed that building will take place on them.

"Now we will draw up a business case for each site and talk to local ward members.

These are the first steps in what could be a long journey, but I'm delighted that YHN and the city council are continuing to work together to try to deliver the first city council housing since the 1980s."

The 13 sites noted by the council could be used for everything from flats for older people to general housing.

The homes will be funded by developers, Government grants and loans taken out by the council on low rates.

Accommodation built could be everything from flats for older people to general needs housing.

Meanwhile, Gordon Brown promised extra help for local councils to build social housing today as part of efforts to boost the UK economy.

Past restrictions could be lifted, the Prime Minister said, so long as reforms were made to address issues such as high levels of unemployment among residents.

Speaking after economists warned Britain was likely to suffer worst among rich nations from the global slump, he insisted the country would get through the crisis.

Councils had a vital role to play in that, he said in a speech to the New Local Government Network.

"I have said we will not stand by when people's hopes and dreams of a good home and neighbourhood are threatened by economic forces beyond their control," he said.

"We will be ready to move whenever necessary and I believe that councils should be given greater opportunities to play a bigger role."

He went on: "But if local authorities can convince us that they can deliver quickly - and cost-effectively - more of the housing that Britain needs, and if they can build social housing in sustainable communities that meets the aspirations of the British people in the 21st century, then we will be prepared to give them our full backing."