Eight new affordable-rent homes in Wotton-under-Edge have been completed and handed to Stroud District Council, boosting the supply of high-quality, energy-efficient housing in the district.

Built on the former council house plots at Gloucester Street and Bradley Street, the properties were formally transferred on 23 April by Speller Metcalfe to Councillor Gary Luff, Chair of Stroud District Council's Housing Committee.

The scheme replaces four outdated council houses on the site — two of which had stood empty long term and two of the district's oldest, dating back to the 1920s — that would have required extensive and costly upgrades to meet modern standards. Remaining tenants were moved to more modern, accessible accommodation before demolition and redevelopment of the brownfield land to create eight contemporary homes.

The development comprises five two-bedroom and three three-bedroom houses for affordable rent, with rents set at no more than 80 per cent of local market levels. Homes will be allocated via the council's housing register in line with its allocations policy.

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Councillor Gary Luff, Chair of Stroud District Council's Housing Committee, said: "I'm delighted to see these new homes handed over in Wotton-under-Edge. There's a significant shortage of affordable housing across the district, with thousands of households on our housing register, so every new home we deliver really matters. This development makes excellent use of a brownfield site and provides modern, energy-efficient homes that will make a real difference to local families."

These are the first homes delivered through the council's £14.5 million housebuilding programme with Speller Metcalfe, which will provide a total of 51 new affordable properties across four council-owned brownfield sites in Wotton-under-Edge, Dursley, Cam and Cashes Green, Stroud. To help enable demolition and redevelopment, the council secured £490,000 from HM Government's Brownfield Land Release Fund 2.

All homes meet high environmental standards, featuring air source heat pumps, EPC A ratings, solar photovoltaic panels, permeable paving, and measures to support biodiversity including bird and bat boxes and hedgehog highways. These features are intended to reduce residents' energy bills and contribute to the council's climate and nature objectives, while regenerating key sites across the district.

Mark Eaton, divisional director at Speller Metcalfe, said: "This project is a great example of how thoughtful regeneration can deliver real social and environmental value. Replacing outdated properties with modern, energy-efficient homes not only helps address local housing need but also reduces long-term energy costs for residents. We're delighted to hand over the first homes in this programme and to continue working with Stroud District Council to deliver high-quality, sustainable housing across the district."

Alongside its direct build programme, the council is also purchasing completed homes from developers in Kingswood, Cam, Coaley and Great Oldbury to further increase affordable housing supply. There are currently 2,774 households on the housing register, with a further 1,298 applications awaiting validation, underlining the continued demand for schemes of this kind.