GENERATION rent and others blocked from buying due to high house prices could get a help onto the property ladder after Wiltshire Council unveiled its newest development of affordable housing.

The council unveiled Southview Park development in Trowbridge on Tuesday, a 28 home development that is managed by the council and contains a mixture of affordable rent and shared ownership homes.

People will be able to move into the homes from this winter and a further 22 houses will be built at the Trowbridge site by 2020, at a cost of £4m.

A showhome shows a three bedroomed house worth £240,000 that could be bought through a shared ownership scheme of between 25 per cent and 75 per cent.

Mark Ledbury of Davies and Davies estate agents, which will market the shared ownership homes, said: “You hear about generation rent and I think this could be a way to get some of these people into a home that they can feel proud of, take responsibility of and treat as their own because they own a part of it.”

The houses form part of phase one of the council’s bid to build 180 homes, with phase two given the green light after the cabinet approved the bid for £7.5m more funding. Through phase two, 49 homes will be built across 16 sites, often as part of smaller rural communities and be rented to people who need affordable housing.The houses will be paid for by borrowing from a central government pot set aside to allow local authorities outside of London to build council housing.

To view the Southview Park, Trowbridge, show home visit:contacttrow@daviesanddavies.co.uk or call 01225 753858.

Cllr Richard Clewer, cabinet member for housing said: “I want the council to build as many affordable homes as possible, this is a long term plan to keep providing this sort of housing in the community.”

To be eligible for the shared ownership scheme, residents need a local connection to Wiltshire and be registered on the council run Open Market Register. To qualify for affordable rent houses, people will be on the Wiltshire Housing. To view the Trowbridge show home visit:contacttrow@daviesanddavies.co.uk or call 01225 753858.