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Two cottages – thought to be the oldest council houses in the country – have been sold with the proceeds to be ploughed back into new affordable housing projects .
The sale of the Babergh District Council-owned cottages, which are thought to have been built during the reign of Henry VIII, took place at auction at the Suffolk showground today (March 27) for £169,000 each.
Babergh District Councillors gave the go ahead to sell the thatched homes at the end of last year after it was revealed renovation work could cost in the region of £40,000 and for the price of selling these cottages a greater number of affordable houses could be built instead.
As part of its commitment to affordable housing, Babergh has pledged to have 700 new, affordable homes built – or in the development pipeline – by 2009/2010. To do this, Babergh is constantly looking at ways to increase the number of affordable homes using its existing council housing stock.
As part of this approach, the cottages in Tattingstone were put up for sale earmarked for sale and the profits earmarked to deliver more affordable housing in the village – or, if a suitable site can’t be found, the rest of the district.
With the average price of a house in Babergh topping £229,000, the extra money raised from the Tattingstone sale will go a long way towards helping some of the 1,700 people on Babergh’s Housing Register.
Chris Foti, Babergh’s Head of Community Development, said: “We are delighted with the result. The sales mean not only do those purchasing the properties gain a new home but that Babergh will be able to provide more affordable homes for more people.”
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