This scheme will result in the construction of 78 houses and four flats at the former Green Oaks Lower School site in Bective Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton.

A decision regarding planning permission is expected to finalised in October and the project is backed by a £210,000 affordable homes grant from the Homes and Communities Agency.

Spire Homes, a member of the Midlands-based Longhurst Group, is due to begin work on the project in January 2017 in alliance with Westleigh Partnerships Ltd and Northampton Borough Council. 

Ian Jackson, executive director of portfolio investment at Longhurst Group, said: “We continue to build more and more homes, despite the uncertainty around Brexit and the implications housebuilders are facing.

“This is coupled with the cuts in rents for registered providers and the introduction of [a] grant purely for sales products.

“We want to continue to invest in Northamptonshire with Spire Homes.

“There’s a huge demand for affordable housing across the region and we’ve been careful to ensure our development programme reflects this.”

Ian added: “We’re providing homes for rent and shared ownership, and for the first time in Northamptonshire we are introducing homes for outright sale.

“Although this takes us outside the realms of providing purely affordable homes, we will be able to use proceeds from sales towards building more affordable homes.

“This is vital for helping local people on lower incomes remain close to family, friends and work.”