MORE than 50 new affordable homes are to be built on the North Yorkshire coast at Whitby.

The 52 homes on five sites are part of 131 that are to be created across the Scarborough borough and building work will start in the next few months.

They are being funded from over £7m in grant from the Homes and Communities Agency and through finance from local housing associations.

Local cabinet member for housing, Coun Jonathan Dixon, said: "We have a severe affordable housing shortage across the borough, so the development of these sites will make significant in-roads into addressing this shortage.

"We are also working hard to bring further developments forward."

The Whitby area sites include: *A development of 18 new houses for rent at Larpool Lane by Sanctuary Housing.

*The provision of three houses and two flats at Byland Road by Home Housing Association.

*The provision of 14 new affordable houses at the former creamery site, White Leys Road, by Broadacres Housing Association. *The redevelopment of five empty flats in Whitby by Leeds and Yorkshire Housing Association.

*Middlewood Crescent at Flylingthorpe will see a new build of 10 family houses by Home Housing Association.