Newcastle City Council has given planning permission for a £10m housing development on a brownfield site at Colwyne Place in Blakelaw.

Regeneration and affordable homes specialist Keepmoat Homes will be building 98 properties, of which 57 will be for sale and the remaining 41 will be owned by Leazes Homes, the charitable subsidiary of Your Homes Newcastle (YHN).  These homes will be available for shared ownership and rent.

Houses for sale will include two and three bedroomed houses and a two bedroom bungalow – all at competitive prices.  The house types are likely to be those which have proved popular with first and second time buyers elsewhere in the region.

The properties to be owned by Leazes Homes include two, three and four bedroomed homes and six bungalows, two of which have been specifically designed for wheelchair access.  All of these properties will be managed by YHN.

Proximity to the A1(M) and other major road networks are expected to make the development popular with house hunters commuting to the region’s major cities.  It is on the former site of the Blakelaw Deck Access flats.  Built in 1969 and designed by the council architect Doug H Cunningham, the deck access flats, standing on stilts above the ground with connecting walkways, were part of a grand plan to create communities.

But this never worked and the blocks gradually fell into disrepair, and local people and Councillors lobbied YHN to replace the flats with modern housing.  Demolition works completed in April 2010.

It is anticipated that work will start on site at the beginning of September (2010) with the first homes completed in early 2011.

Bill Midgley, Chair of Leazes Homes, said:

"Local residents have been actively involved in shaping this development before and since demolition, culminating in a series of open days held earlier this summer.  Their involvement has helped us produce a scheme that it is sustainable and in tune with what local people want.  We're pleased that work can now start on site this summer - it's great news for Blakelaw and Newcastle as a whole."

Ian Prescott, Land and Partnership’s Director with Keepmoat Homes North East, said: 

"We’re delighted to have secured this site in Blakelaw and look forward to working with our partners Newcastle City Council, Leazes Homes and Your Homes Newcastle to deliver new housing to the area to benefit the local community and economy.

“As a company we have a strong presence in County Durham and Teesside but are now increasing our presence across Tyne and Wear with exciting developments at Wallsend, Blaydon, Washington and now this one in Blakelaw.”