A MULTI-MILLION pound grant will help ensure affordable rents at a new Winchester City Council development.

The housing scheme in The Valley, where 77 homes are currently being built, will benefit from a grant of £6.4m from Homes England.

The Valley in Stanmore is a mixture of flats, houses and a bungalow.

The £18.9m scheme will be helped by the Homes England funding, which will mean the scheme can provide social rents, making it more affordable for tenants.

Cllr Kelsie Learney, cabinet member for housing, said: “Our ambition is to provide truly affordable homes in the right places, ensuring the district can be called home by as many people as possible.

“This funding will help us to achieve this goal, and we will continue to seek new and innovative ways of providing more affordable rental properties across the district.”

Peter Jones, head of affordable housing and supply at Homes England, said: “We are really pleased to see these new and much-needed homes for social rent being provided by Winchester City Council helped by our investment.

“It is also good to welcome Winchester as a new partner for our affordable homes programme within the Wayfarer consortium and look forward to developing the relationship.”

The news comes as The Valley was also selected as a finalist for Development of the Year in the South Coast Property Awards 2019.