Council’s first development in over 30 years to deliver 16 new homes begins

Work has started on a council owned site off Bexhill Road, St Leonards to deliver 16 new homes. There will be 8 x one-bedroom and 8 x two-bedroom homes, which will be let at an Affordable Rent, capped at Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates.

The new homes will be sustainable, energy efficient, and all have their own gardens. 

The homes are be constructed by Boutique Modern, a modular company specialising in high-quality, sustainably built, affordable housing that is manufactured offsite at their factory in Newhaven before the completed homes are transported and installed onsite.

This will result in less waste in the manufacturing process and reduced noise, disruption and environmental impact during the build. The ‘fabric first’ approach means that all new homes will be well insulated resulting in a lower carbon footprint and cheaper bills for residents. Additional energy efficiency measures include solar panels on each of the homes and dedicated resident and visitor parking bays all with electric vehicle charging points. 

Councillors and officers visited the site ahead of groundworks commencing in July 2025. 

Cllr Glenn Haffenden, leader of the council and lead councillor for housing, said: “I was really pleased to go down to the Bexhill Road site and see where we’re going to be building the first council homes for many years. It was great to talk to the contractors and understand some more about where the homes will be and how they will work for residents.

“This is an exciting step forward in the council’s dedication to provide much needed homes that local people can afford.”

The council was successful in securing grants through central government, the Affordable Homes Programme and the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF2) which have supported the scheme to go ahead.  

The new homes are scheduled for completion at the end of Summer 2026. Along with the new homes, the public car park next to the site will also benefit from upgrades, including resurfacing and improved drainage.