HOUSING developments will bring 22 affordable homes to Chipping Sodbury within the next two years.

Merlin Housing Society has teamed up with Bloor Homes to build 17 homes for social rent and five for shared ownership on the former site of the old Barnhill Quarry.

The £3 million development of five flats and 17 houses is part of plans the housing association has to build more than 200 new homes within a 20 mile radius of its Chipping Sodbury head office by 2015.

The Merlin Housing Society head of development, Michelle Thomas, said: “We’re really pleased to be working in partnership with Bloor to build much-needed social rent and shared ownership homes.

“Finding good quality, affordable accommodation in Chipping Sodbury is really difficult, so the fact that that we will increase the amount of such homes it owns in the town is great news”.

Two flats and three of the houses will be available for shared ownership, giving first time buyers an opportunity to own 40 per cent of their own home and get a foot on the property ladder.

The house building will begin in January 15 and six properties will be completed by October 2015.

Five more properties will be completed by June 2016, six more by November 2016 and the final five by May 2017.

Merlin Housing Society is taking forward Bloor’s Section 106 affordable housing element, which requires 35 per cent of new development to be made available for affordable tenures.

The organisation is run by a board of 14 members, made up of residents, South Gloucestershire councillors and independent members.

The homes will be available through the South Gloucestershire Homechoice service and the developments are due for completion over a number of phases between 2015 and 2017.

Information about the shared ownership properties will be available early next year, by visiting: www.merlinhs.co.uk.