Fourty-one more affordable houses will be built in the district after the council backed plans to include more first homes in three major housing developments.

The first home scheme earmarks houses to be sold at a minimum discount of 30 per cent from their market value, whilst also capping the selling price at £250,000 (outside London).

Twenty-six of the homes will be included in Vistry Partnership's 425-house Gallows Hill development in Warwick.

A further nine will be built at Lower Heathcote Farm on Harbury Lane, and the remaining six included in the 120 houses being built off Rugby Road in Cubbington.

Speaking at last week's Warwick District Council planning meeting, planning officer Dan Charles explained that no extra houses would be built at each site and that the first homes would be in addition to the number of new-builds already designated for affordable housing.

"The three items are all for variations to existing section 106 agreements to incorporate the required paragraphs to provide for first homes - which is a new type of affordable housing that the government are promoting," he said. 

"The three schemes are all for first homes that will be in addition to the existing 40 per cent affordable housing."

All three schemes were approved.

A council report into the Gallows Hill development stated that the council was in support of building more affordable homes.

"An increase in the provision of affordable housing within the district is to be welcomed and this scheme will secure these units through the appropriate legal agreement," it said.

Adding: "The changes have the agreement and full support of the Warwick District Council housing team who are working with the applicants to deliver the first homes and as such, there is no objection from officers."