MORE affordable housing is set to be built in the borough after housing providers secured funding from a government scheme.

Wigan and Leigh Housing and Adactus Housing Association have secured grants worth nearly £10 million from the Homes and Communities Agency’s affordable homes programme.

Most of the houses built will be made available for the 3,000 people on the council’s social housing waiting list to rent.

Councillor David Molyneux, deputy leader of Wigan Council, said: “I’m sure construction of these schemes will provide a significant boost to the local building industry but more importantly will help us address the need for more affordable homes across Wigan Borough.

“These homes will be available to those on our housing waiting list and in particular there will be smaller properties which we need to help us manage the impact of welfare reform and the borough’s increasing older population.”

Wigan Council and Wigan and Leigh Housing will build 112 homes on three sites including the former Towns Yard in Hindley where there are plans for a range of family homes, bungalows and flats for older people.

The money will also help them to pay for a supported living scheme for adults with disabilities at the site of the former Tanfield School in Hindley.

Adactus Housing Group will build 188 homes at a number of locations in the borough as part of wider scheme to build more than 1,000 across the north west.

Chief executive Paul Lees said: "Working closely with our local authority partners across the north west we are committed to building quality homes in areas of acute need."

The homes in Adactus' programme will be built on sites agreed with the relevant local authority who will then receive the rights to nominate the tenants.