Finishing touches are being made to new council homes in South Kesteven.
The housing has been built to Lifetime Homes standard, which means properties include wider doors, more accessible space and level thresholds where possible, to make them suitable for a range of mobility.
The site, owned by SKDC and previously a little-used parking area, has been handed over to the Council by developer D Brown Builders for the final stages of work before allocation to the new residents.
The development began in July 2021 with Cabinet Member for Housing and Property, Cllr Robert Reid, turning the first ground to start work.
Cllr Reid said: “Our Corporate Strategy sets out our ambition to increase the supply of high quality, sustainable social housing and we are working to meet the district’s future housing demand and these flats and bungalows reflect our commitment to deliver good quality housing across the district.
“The development is part of a series of projects to bring much-needed housing to the people who really need it. They follow recent successful SKDC developments in Kinoulton Court and Earlesfield Lane in Grantham.
“This scheme made use of an under-used car parking area which has been relocated elsewhere on the Close. It is close to the centre of Bourne and will undoubtedly benefit those who already live locally.”
South Kesteven District Council Leader Cllr Kelham Cooke said: “Working with our partners D Brown Builders, we have built high quality homes for our residents in Bourne, and I am delighted to see the finished homes, which will offer good quality housing that residents will be proud to call home.
“The way we are building affordable housing in South Kesteven supports our ambition to build more council homes, and ones that are energy efficient and lower cost to our residents.”
The energy efficiency measures included in construction will create a benchmark for future housing and bring lower running costs for residents. These homes are built using a sustainable and energy efficient timber frame, pre-cut and assembled on site in panels which reduces building time compared to similar traditional construction and reduces waste through off-cuts. Timber frame also allows for open plan spaces, particularly useful for wheelchair users.
The walls are fully insulated to a better standard than traditional-build properties, giving more efficient heating. The flats also benefit from large floor-to-ceiling windows to maximise passive natural lighting, which also reduces running costs for tenants.
Meadow Close is the first of two new-build sites, with a second at Trinity Road, Stamford. This will be followed by building at Larch Close in Grantham and other key locations.
