By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
Ashfield District Council is looking to buy the site of a former Kirkby care home for a £5m affordable housing project.
The Kirklands Residential Home was demolished in 2020, and the land is currently owned by Nottinghamshire County Council.
Initial plans have been drawn up for 20 council-owned homes, including two which are specially adapted for wheelchairs.
The land is located on the Kingsway estate on Fairway, between Central Avenue and Western Avenue.
Both councils have had the site valued and a provisional purchase price has been negotiated.
Ashfield District Council’s Cabinet is likely to give approval for the project at a meeting next week (Monday, September 16).
The purchase would be funded by payments which developers have made for local infrastructure, known as Section 106 contributions, as well money from a recent sale of council-owned garages.
The affordable housing scheme is estimated to cost just under £5m.
The council is hoping to secure £1.1m of Homes England funding to support it.
Early plans, which haven’t been formally submitted yet, include 12 two-bed houses, six three-bed houses and two four-bed houses.
The four-bed properties would include a ground-floor bedroom and bathroom which are accessible for wheelchair users.
A council report on the decision says: “Meeting the needs of larger families where one member is a wheelchair user is exceptionally difficult and these two four-bed houses will help meet that local need.”
It adds that there is significant local demand for social housing.
“Vacant garage sites, car parks and other under-utilised council land has been used for the purpose of building new homes,” the report says.
“With over 4000 applicants on the Housing Register, the Council is committed to continue with the programme but must now look further afield for suitable land to develop.”
