Rother DC Housing Company welcomes invitation to help shape council housebuilding in UK

Rother DC Housing Company (RDCHC) has welcomed the Local Government Association’s (LGA) announcement that Rother District Council (RDC) is one of just ten vanguard councils from across the UK selected to help co-design the new Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS), a national initiative to boost council-led housebuilding across England.

Funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, CHoSS was launched by the Deputy Prime Minister at the LGA Annual Conference in July. It will see RDC reap the benefit of government support to help it establish, enhance or accelerate its delivery of high-quality, affordable council homes.

Richard Thomas, Chair of Rother DC Housing Company, a private business wholly owned by Rother District Council, said: “Congratulations to Rother DC on its selection to help shape the nation’s new Council Housebuilding Support Service. It is welcome recognition of our shared ambition to boost the building of high-quality, affordable housing for our communities through the delivery of 1000 new homes by 2037.

“With CHoSS support, RDC and RDCHC will be best placed to capitalise on our progress to date, most notably at the Tapestry development in Battle. Here the council’s determined efforts to resolve the site’s longstanding complexities, and attract significant funding from Homes England, paved the way for RDCHC to begin building 200 eco-efficient homes this summer, of which 130 are ear-marked for affordable rent and shared ownership.”

Councillor Ruairi McCourt, portfolio holder for housing at Rother District Council, said: “We look forward to working with the LGA and helping to shape the support that is going to make a real difference to other council and communities across the country.”

Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the LGA, said: “This new programme comes at a critical time for local government. Councils want to do more to deliver the council houses their communities need, and this initiative will give them the tools, advice and support to do just that.”

The other nine councils selected are Eastbourne Borough Council, Cornwall Council, Newcastle City Council, Salford City Council, London Borough of Merton, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Wirral Council, and Southampton City Council.