EAST Devon District Council s housing service has been successful in its bid for a social housing grant to enable it to provide new homes.

EAST Devon District Council's housing service has been successful in its bid for a social housing grant to enable it to provide new homes.

Housing Minister John Healey MP announced an investment of over �1 million, which now has to be matched by EDDC to enable 17 new council homes to be built in Axminster and Sidmouth.

The council is tomorrow (Thursday, September 17) to look at issues affecting the delivery of affordable housing in East Devon. A summit will aim to identify potential barriers and consider innovative ways to increase the number of properties available year on year and will bring together housing associations, landowners, developers, representatives from the Homes and Communities Agency, the Government Office of the South West and district councillors.

MPs Hugo Swire and Angela Browning have also been invited to attend.

The Council is also working with housing association Sanctuary Shaftesbury to build twelve new affordable homes in Axminster, with funding from the Homes and Communities Agency. These will meet the Code for Sustainable Homes and will be ecologically sound and economical to run.

EDDC's Portfolio Holder for Communities, Councillor Jill Elson, who is chairing tomorrow's housing summit, said: "Provision of affordable housing is the Council's number one priority. We need to be innovative in our approach to identify more suitable social housing and I'm delighted to be leading the Summit looking at ideas to make this happen.

"The bungalows at Manstone Avenue in Sidmouth, and the homes at Bonners Glen in Axminster are a positive way forward and the Social Housing Grant from the Homes and Communities Agency will provide a much-needed boost to our plans.

"All these initiatives demonstrate our determination to meet our commitment to provide the type of homes people want. There is still a long way to go, but we are heading in the right direction.