Housing Minister John Healey has hailed the start of the largest council house building programme in nearly two decades as work began today on the first of over 2,000 new homes to help tackle waiting list pressures.

Mr Healey saw work get underway today in Tyneside on the first new site for Government funded council housing in the country. Many more sites across the country will follow in the coming weeks as the £141m council housing drive, which is set to create over five thousand construction jobs, gets underway.

This is part of an extra £1.5bn in the Housing Pledge Mr Healey made in June to build an additional 20,000 much needed affordable homes. As well as getting councils building homes again, this power of Government investment is getting housebuilding work restarted on stalled sites during the recession, and helping Housing Associations build more affordable homes - creating 45,000 extra jobs and nearly 3000 new apprenticeships in the industry.

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Nearly £600,000 Government funding for Brancepeth Road, Hebburn has helped to get these first fifteen homes underway. Two more sites in Hebburn and South Shields will also start shortly as part of a drive across South Tyneside to create new homes designed for older tenants. The new homes will help ensure that tenants are provided with housing best suited to them and help reduce waiting list pressure in the area.

The Minister also said that there was more funding to come for councils, with the second round of council house funding set for announcement later this month.

Mr Healey said: "The first spade is in the ground today and marks the beginning of the biggest council house building programme for nearly two decades. Many more sites across the country will be up and running in the coming weeks, and in a matter of days I will give the green light to funding for further council house building.

"Today Tyneside shows how the power of Government investment is tackling the shortage of affordable housing and also creating new jobs and supporting the construction industry when it needs it most.

"Alongside the extra leeway I am giving councils to manage their waiting lists according to local pressures, the new building started today will help councils tackle the housing needs of their communities."

(CD/BMcC)