A successful funding bid will see an additional 29 new homes built in Powys this year, the county council has announced.

Powys County Council’s Housing Services, along with Mid-Wales Housing and Melin Homes, secured an additional £2 million from Welsh Government’s Social Housing Grant to bring forward two key housing schemes in Powys.

Just over £1.5 million of the additional money will fund a new project that will see 22 new homes in Crickhowell. There will be six one bedroom properties, ten two bedroom properties and six three bed homes.

Work will start on site in April 2016 by Melin Homes at Beacons Court, Crickhowell. The land was formerly Upper House Farm and was sold by Powys County Council to Melin Homes this month.

The project will address the need for both affordable and social housing as it is intended that when the six one bedroom properties are completed they will be bought by Powys County Council to provide extra social housing in the area.

The bid also secured £508,000 to fund the completion of the housing scheme on the site of the former Territorial Army centre in Newtown. This scheme is currently being developed by Mid Wales Housing and the additional monies will provide seven one and two bed units.

Councillor Darren Mayor, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “This is fantastic news for Powys and will help us move forward much quicker to ensure more affordable homes are available. In all 70 new affordable homes will now be completed in Powys in the next financial year.

“The Affordable Housing Officer and our Housing Association partners worked hard to make sure the bid for this additional funding was successful. We are now in a stronger position than we have been for several years to address the shortfall in need for affordable housing and also add to our social housing as well.”