Northumberland Council Backs £9.6M Housing Loan for Longhorsley Homes Northumberland Council Approves £9.6M Loan for Longhorsley Housing

New homes might be coming to Longhorsley. Council leaders agreed to fund the housing project, and they approved plans for 55 new homes on Tuesday. The council will loan money to Advance Northumberland, their development company.

The loan is almost £10 million, and it will buy land in Longhorsley. Ascent Homes, a subsidiary, will build the houses. The whole project costs £9.6 million.

Sixteen of the homes will be affordable, representing thirty percent of all properties. The land already has planning permission, with a report calling it “shovel ready,” meaning building can start quickly.

Richard Wearmouth spoke at the meeting, stating that affordable homes are needed there. He noted they are also building in Wooler, as these places often lack affordable housing.

Rightmove states the average house price is £265,691 over the past year in Longhorsley. In comparison, the Northumberland average is £240,391, making Longhorsley more expensive.

The project aims to be sustainable with planned air source heat pumps. Solar panels are also being considered, making it a greener project for the area.

Colin Horncastle discussed rural housing, stating that sixteen affordable homes is a lot, especially for a rural area. He expressed his desire to see more rural projects.

Advance owes the council £267.1 million, and the council gets £14 million yearly from interest. The funding comes in two parts: first, £3.67 million in 2024/25, and next, £5.995 million in 2025/26.

The money comes from a special budget. This budget has £29 million set aside, and these funds are for loans to outside companies.

New homes might be coming to Longhorsley. Council leaders agreed to fund the housing project and approved plans for 55 new homes on Tuesday. The council will loan money to Advance Northumberland, their development company. The loan is almost £10 million. It will buy land in Longhorsley.

Ascent Homes will build the houses; Ascent Homes is a subsidiary. The whole project costs £9.6 million. Sixteen of the homes will be affordable, approximately thirty percent of all properties.

The land already has planning permission, and a report called it “shovel ready,” suggesting building can start quickly. Richard Wearmouth spoke at the meeting, stating affordable homes are needed. He noted they are also building in Wooler, highlighting that these places often lack affordable housing.

Rightmove says the average house price is £265,691 over the past year in Longhorsley, which is more expensive than the Northumberland average of £240,391.
The project aims to be sustainable. Air source heat pumps are planned, and solar panels are also being considered, aiming for a greener project for the area.

Colin Horncastle discussed rural housing. Sixteen affordable homes is a lot, especially in a rural area. He wants to see more rural projects.

Advance owes the council £267.1 million. The council gets £14 million yearly from interest. The funding comes in two parts: £3.67 million in 2024/25 and £5.995 million in 2025/26. The money comes from a special budget with £29 million set aside for loans to outside companies.