DEMOLITION of a Coalpit Heath site is underway after a £2.4 million government fund to build 84 homes in South Gloucestershire over the next three years.

The fund from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) was awarded to the Merlin Housing Society to redevelop homes around the county.

Merlin Housing Society will use the funding to help finance the redevelopment of nine non-traditional housing sites in Coalpit Heath, Little Stoke and Iron Acton, plus a former older person’s housing scheme in Filton.

Demolition work begun on one of the redevelopment sites in Newlands Lane, Coalpit Heath in June.

Head of development Michelle Thomas said: “We’re delighted to receive this money from the HCA. We already own these sites and have detailed redevelopment plans in place for them.

“We’ve chosen the non-traditional sites as the properties on them are in real need of improvement. They are suffering from structural defects and have become very expensive to heat for those living there.

“The former older people’s housing scheme in Filton has a large number of unpopular bedsits, with narrow corridors and many stairs, which really weren’t ideal for older people or anyone with mobility issues. We closed the site last year and found residents safer, more suitable homes.

“This money will help us replace all these properties with modern, affordable, energy efficient homes.”

The money is part of the HCA’s ‘Affordable Homes Programme’ which saw £886m given out to building projects across the country.

The group aims to help create successful communities by making more homes available to the residents who need them.

Building work will start on the Coalpit Heath site in February 2015.