AN affordable housing provider is about to embark on a £10.6million scheme having gained planning permission to construct 107 homes in Badger Avenue, Crewe.

The scheme, on the site of the former Ludford Street School, will be completed in two phases with the first homes handing over in March 2015.

Wulvern has secured grant funding from the Homes and Communities Agency towards the cost of delivering the £10.6 million scheme and has appointed MCI Construction to build the homes.

The development will initially provide 82 homes – a mix of two and three bedroom houses and one and two bedroom apartments, all at an affordable rent. A further bid to the Homes and Communities Agency could see a further 25 homes built on the site.

Kevin Williams, executive director, said: “Wulvern is already well on the way to delivering one of the regions largest HCA funded programmes and we are delighted that the HCA has shown confidence in our ability to deliver by supporting us to build these homes under the Affordable Homes Guarantee Programme.”

Chief Executive Sue Lock added: “More than 70 per cent of Wulvern tenants are in receipt of housing benefit in either full or part.

“We will also continue to help tenants by investing in a range of support and advice services such as our partnerships with Christians Against Poverty, StepChange and Citizens Advice Bureau alongside our Health and Wellbeing programme which has helped vulnerable people in the area reclaim over £5 million in benefits that they are entitled to.”