Green light for accessible bungalows after major grant secured

Canterbury City Council will start work on building 11 new two-bedroom accessible and adaptable chalet bungalows in East Street later this year, after successfully bidding for £1.67 million towards the cost of the scheme.

The money is coming from Homes England’s Social and Affordable Homes Programme and is the final piece of the financial jigsaw for the project to enable shovels to get in the ground.

It is costing £4.3 million in total, with other funding coming from a grant from the Brown Field Release Fund, borrowing through the council’s ringfenced Housing Revenue Account and section 106 funds from developers.

The East Street scheme, on the site of the former Sturry Road Social Club, will provide much-needed adaptable and accessible homes – a type of property that is not ordinarily built by developers – and is therefore meeting a demand that the private sector does not tend to cover.

Once built, they will become part of the council’s social housing stock and the people who move in will become council tenants.

These energy‑efficient, low‑carbon homes incorporate renewable technologies and sustainable design principles.

In particular, air source heat pumps will provide heating and hot water, solar panels on suitable plots will generate renewable energy and electric vehicle charging points will be installed in all the homes.

Planning permission for the project was secured last year and full design work has been completed. Both of these factors were crucial in securing the Homes England funding, as it was a clear demonstration it is ready to go.

Work on the ground is expected to start in the autumn, with a 14-month build time leading to completion and handover to the council’s stock by late 2027.

Cabinet member for housing, Cllr Pip Hazelton, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been successful with our grant application, which means we can get cracking on this project in just a few months’ time.

“It is the job of a council to provide homes to people who need them most and these accessible and adaptable bungalows will transform the lives of the people who move into them.

“And in doing so we will also be removing a derelict, run down piece of land in Sturry and using it for these well-designed and attractive new homes.

“So it’s a double win for local people and we can’t wait to get started.”

Published: 19 June 2026