Garages have been demolished on the High Lanes estate to mark the start of a redevelopment programme that includes new four-bed homes to rent and other estate improvements.

Permission was granted by Gateshead Council for the development, which will be owned and managed by The Gateshead Housing Company. Dunelm Property Services will carry out the works, which is also supported by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Gateshead Council.

Councillor Angela Armstrong, Gateshead Council’s Cabinet member for Housing, said: "Local councils like us have struggled for many years to match people’s housing needs with the ever-reducing supply of social housing. So being awarded the funding - and now the permission - to build new homes for local people is excellent news."

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"This development will create high quality, energy efficient homes for local people," added Pat Ritchie, Regional Director of the Homes and Communities Agency. "It’s part of our affordable homes programme, which is already bringing positive change across Gateshead and the region as a whole."

The High Lanes development is one of a number of projects in Gateshead to be supported by the Homes and Communities Agency, which has allocated over £12m to the borough over the past year.

Gateshead Council has contributed the land and additional financial support to enable this scheme to go ahead.

(GK)