THURROCK Council is set to kick start a near £20 million scheme to develop garage sites across the borough, providing 46 new affordable homes.

The new council homes intended for affordable rent will be built across sites in South Ockendon, Chadwell St Mary and Stanford-le-Hope that are currently used for garages.

If approved by cabinet on Wednesday, the scheme will be delivered by the council. Contracts will be awarded this autumn, with a start on site in spring 2025 and completion in spring 2027.

The project will be funded by £9.8million retained Right to Buy receipts and £9.8million borrowing to be funded through the council's Housing Revenue Account.

Commissioners currently overseeing spending by the council due to its financial crisis have approved the scheme but it will be subject to Government agreement of sufficient borrowing.

The council will demolish the existing council-owned garages and build thirty-three new council homes for at Broxburn Drive in South Ockendon. six new council homes will be built at Lyndhurst Road in Stanford-le-Hope following demolition of garages there, along with seven new homes at Vigerons Way in Chadwell St Mary.

Seven leaseholders of the garages will be offered alternative garages across the borough or the opportunity to sell back the leases to the council.

In a report to cabinet, the council said it had considered disposing of the sites to housing associations to avoid the council having to borrow.

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However, the report said: "Discussions were held from October, 2023 through to June 2024 with a number of housing associations regarding their development ambitions in Thurrock including their appetite for small site garage court development.

"The lack of interest in such sites reflected the general downward pressure on Housing Association development programmes."

The report adds: "The recommended approach of self -delivery responds best to the council's requirements and aspirations for the sites.

" While it carries risk in that the council has to fund this itself and bears the risk of cost increases, it gives the Council the greatest control including the amount of affordable housing delivered, speed of delivery, provides a long-term asset to the council and helps avoid the use of costly temporary accommodation."