MORE than 9,000 new homes have been built in across Cheshire West in the past six years – with more than a quarter being affordable.

New figures presented to Cheshire West and Chester Council’s places overview and scrutiny committee on Monday show that 9,071 properties were built from 2013-14 to the end of 2017-18.

And a total of 2,352 of those homes are affordable according to the definition set by Homes England – meaning that 27 per cent of the properties built during that time were either made available for social rent, affordable rent or put on sale below market levels.

The majority of new homes have been delivered by the private sector, but CWAC has taken a more proactive role in securing affordable housing since November 2014 – working with Homes England, developers and housing associations to make sure properties are built to meet local demand.

Alison Amesbury, senior manager for strategic housing at CWAC, told members this has helped the council ‘plug some of those gaps’ on the waiting list for housing.

She said: “The council has found a role whereby it can increase the delivery of new homes on its sites, but also increase the delivery of affordable homes to meet local housing needs and bring an income stream into the council.”

When taking into account the number of homes either demolished or converted into other uses, it means that Cheshire West now has 8,869 more homes than in 2012-13.

The growth is also faster than CWAC’s own prediction in its local plan, which had the commitment to build 1,100 homes a year when it was adopted in January 2015.

In the first three full years since the plan was adopted – 2015-16 to 2017-18 – 6,426 homes have been built.

That figure is almost double the target of 3,300 according to the local plan, and Cllr Matt Bryan, Labour member for Upton, congratulated CWAC officers on a ‘brilliant’ achievement.

By the end of 2019, the council will have directly been involved in delivering 929 houses – including 432 affordable homes.

CWAC also has plans to build another 750 homes following that, and recently secured a £14.7 million grant from Homes England to help it provide new properties.