Land owned by Harborough District Council at Naseby Square in Market Harborough has now been sold for £1.4m to Platform Housing Group to amalgamate with their adjoining land and build 38 affordable homes.
The new development will consist of 1-3 bed homes which will be a mix of rented and shared ownership. The scheme will include 8 bungalows for rent which may be attractive to older people or those with a physical disability.
Delivering affordable housing is a key priority for the Council and 2021/22 was another record year with over 200 new affordable homes built. However, demand is also rising fast with over 450 applications to join the Council’s housing register in the last three months, with over 600 applications in total.
After considering options for the land the Council agreed not to pursue the proposed housing project itself as it has had to refocus its priorities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The capital raised from the sale will be used to support the Council’s various capital projects across the Harborough district.
Platform Housing Group worked with customers of Naseby Square who would be affected by the proposed redevelopment and has relocated all those customers to other Platform Housing accommodation of their choosing.
Cllr James Hallam, Harborough District Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet lead on strategic asset management, said: “With the significant impact of the COVID pandemic, a decision was taken to sell this land on behalf of the taxpayer. We will carefully evaluate how we can utilise this capital receipt to benefit the Harborough district.”
Prior to the sale, both the Council and Platform Housing Group owned adjacent portions of the Naseby Square site. By amalgamating the sites it will enable the development of 38 affordable homes.
