HOUSING bosses have secured �1 million of Government cash to help build affordable homes in East Devon.

HOUSING bosses have secured �1 million of Government cash to help build affordable homes in East Devon.

The money pledged by housing minister John Healey this week will be matched by East Devon District Council, and pay for 17 new council homes across the district.

The announcement coincides the convening of a council 'Housing Summit' yesterday (Thursday) to look the delivery of affordable housing in East Devon.

The summit aimed to identify the problems of a lack of housing stock in the district, and considered ways to increase the number of properties available by bringing housing associations, landowners, developers, representatives from the Homes and Communities Agency, the Government office of the South West and district councillors to the table.

The summit was attended MPs including Hugo Swire, and speakers were Graham Cridland from Michelmores Solicitors who specialise in commercial and property law and John Golding, EDDC's head of housing and social inclusion who took part in.

They took part in a discussion 'The sky's the limit - blue sky thinking for new housing ideas' to thrash out new ideas for increasing affordable housing stock.

For the first time in 20 years, EDDC is building new council homes - two new bungalows for local people with disabilities are due for completion in spring 2010 and there is development in Axminster.

The new homes will be using sustainable materials wherever possible, as well as renewable energy supplies, so they will be cost-effective to live in.

EDDC's portfolio holder for communities, Exmouth councillor Jill Elson, who is chairing the housing summit said: "Provision of affordable housing is the council's number one priority. We need to be innovative in our approach to identify more suitable social housing and I'm delighted to be leading the Summit looking at ideas to make this happen.