Plans to construct two new council estates in Rotherham announced

Members of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s cabinet will be asked to approve the scheme at their next meeting on March 18.

The initiative will be a significant step forward in addressing demand for affordable housing, as the waiting list in Rotherham exceeds 6,500.

The proposed developments, on Grayson Road, Greasbrough and Tenter Street, Thornhill, will provide accommodation for families and individuals struggling to find suitable housing in the area.

With a mix of two and three-bedroom houses, as well as bungalows and apartments, the developments aim to appeal to a diverse range of household sizes and needs.

Rotherham Council’s deputy leader, councillor Sarah Allen, said: “With more than 6,500 households waiting for a council home and hundreds of homelessness cases a month, the level of demand only continues to rise and therefore it is vital that the council looks at all opportunities to build or acquire good quality, affordable homes for residents.”

Since January 2018, RMBC has created 518 new homes for council rent or shared ownership, with a further 120 currently under construction or in the process of being purchased.

The construction is part of a broader strategy to provide hundreds of new council homes by 2026 in the borough.

An average of 51 bids were made for each council home in 2021/22, and 802 homes were lost as a result of the right to by scheme.

Each property is expected to cost an average of £215,000, with the full cost estimated at around £7.5M.