A UNIQUE land trust is set to build homes in a Moen Valley village with help from the city council.

Civic chiefs are giving the Wickham Community Land Trust £410,000 towards a scheme for ten houses.

The £410,000 will come from the proceeds of Right to Buy, section 106 contributions from developers and a community housing fund.

The overview and scrutiny committee heard the Wickham trust is unique locally.

Cllr Therese Evans said: "There are no other community land trusts in the district.Its housing stock stays affordable in perpetuity unlike some other registered providers.

"It is a local organisation and I can vouchsafe that it is very well-run. The advantage of having a local team looking after affordable houses when anything goes wrong that team is round there instantly."

Mr Botham said the council wanted to see more land trusts.

Of the ten new homes, five will be affordable rent and five will be shared ownership. With council help it has already build eight homes in the village.

The overview and scrutiny committee supported the £410,000 grant.

Another good news was that the council was making minimal use of bed and breakfasts for homeless.

Meanwhile progress is being made on other housing schemes.

Victoria House is set to imminent completion following disruption when the contractor HH Drew went into administration.

The council is looking to explore how it can build more houses after the lifting of the 'debt cap' a financial control imposed by Government that hampered efforts to construct council homes.

It gives the council the ability borrow some £52 million.

The council has a target of building 600 council homes by 2020.

There is both good and bad news for council tenants. This coming financial year will be the last when there will be a one per cent rent reduction. From April 2020 it will rise by the consumer price index plus one per cent.

The overview and scrutiny committee looking at the housing revenue account on Monday.

Cllr Martin Tod said the city council needed to be alert for an impact on homelessness caused by reductions in county council grant.

The council says universal credit could see tenants rent debts climb from half a per cent to four per cent, an 800 per cent rise.

Richard Botham said they were aware of the issue but were not expecting such an increase.

Meanwhile, the council is monitoring an increase in homes in multiple occupation in Fulflood and Badger Farm. Article 4 directions now make it harder for landlords to convert houses in Winnall and Stanmore.