Nine new council homes have been purchased as part of an ongoing commitment to provide affordable, energy efficient homes.
The properties are located at Middlesex House, Arras Close, Folkestone and were purchased by Folkestone & Hythe District Council through an affordable housing planning agreement.
The flats are highly insulated, heated via air source heat pumps, and have communal solar panels installed to provide low-cost electricity to tenants. As a result, each flat has been awarded an A (most efficient) Energy Performance Certificate.
They have been let to tenants on the council’s housing list at affordable rents.
The council also purchased a further five homes in the development, which were made available for shared ownership purchase last year. All are currently occupied.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, Cllr Rebecca Shoob, said: “This acquisition demonstrates our continuing commitment to future proofing tenants’ homes and providing places to live that are both affordable to rent and affordable to heat.”
“It follows the success of the award winning Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund project and our work with East Kent College – assisting in the administration of central government funding to provide training in the retrofit, green and construction skills sectors.”