URGENTLY needed affordable homes are being provided in a market town as part of a £3m private housing development.

Work has started on Broadacres Housing Association's scheme to build 78 homes on the former prison garden site in Valley Road, Northallerton.

The homes will be a mix of 40 one, two, three and four-bedroom homes for rent alongside 38 two, three and four-bedroom homes for sale.

The houses are being built for Broadacres by Yuill Homes of Hartlepool, in a partnering agreement, with the NAP Partnership acting as Employer's Agent.

Over 50pc of the development costs are being covered by a Social Housing Grant.

Helen Suddick, development manager of Broadacres, said: "There is a recognised need for affordable homes in the Northallerton area but what makes this scheme quite unique is that, rather than being set aside as something different, these homes are being built alongside houses for private sale.

"All the properties, whether for rent or purchase, are being built to the same exacting standards you would expect from any Yuill private development and we believe it will be a very attractive scheme that will prove popular with both renting and buying customers.

"Our partnership arrangement with Yuill Homes gets away from the traditional adversarial contracts with builders and we are delighted with NAP's innovative and pro-active approach to the administration of this project."

Middlesbrough-based NAP has been a preferred partner of Broadacres for the past ten years and has wide experience of acting as employer's agent and cost consultant on social housing schemes, with both private and public sector developers.

Partner David Glenwright said: "As Employer's Agent, our team of quantity surveyors and cost management specialists are looking after Broadacres' interests by helping to monitor and administer many aspects of the partnering strategy, working closely with Broadacres, Yuill and other contractors to ensure the project is on time and on budget."

The Valley Road development is scheduled to be completed in May next year.

After taking over Hambleton District Council's housing stock in 1993, Broadacres provides homes in seven council areas, including Hambleton and Richmondshire.