A HOUSING association has been appointed to deliver the first new council houses to be built in the district for more than 25 years.

Epping Forest District Council has agreed to pay East Thames Group £1.6 million to deliver its  council house building programme, which will see 120 rented homes erected over six years.

The last new council house in the district was constructed in June 1985 in Mountbatten Court, Buckhurst Hill.

The council has agreed a list of 58 potential sites for the new homes – mainly garages that have proved difficult to let.

East Thames will provide project management and building services and undertake appraisals, signed off by a new council committee, to decide whether each site is suitable.

Cllr David Stallan, cabinet member for housing, said: “The council has not built any new homes for over 25 years, so we do not have the technical expertise in-house to undertake new house building ourselves.

“We will continue to facilitate the provision of affordable housing in our district, with all of our housing association partners.

“But personally, I am looking forward to the day when we are able to build more council homes each year than we sell through the Right to Buy.”

The appointment will start in January, with the development of the first sites expected to begin in early 2014.