MORE than 100 new homes are on the way for Hackney residents on three housing estates, thanks to nearly £10 million of Government funding.

A total of 115 homes are to be built at Bridport House, Colville Estate; Ottaway Court, Landfield Estate; and Rendlesham House Estate after the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) granted Hackney Council the funding last month.

Construction work on all sites is set to begin in March next year, with the new homes scheduled for completion by Spring 2011 and available to rent.

The Council has been working with the Colville Estate Tenants and Residents Association to draw up a vision for the regeneration, involving improved, safety, easier-access routes to shops, schools, and public transport; a mix of building types to ensure larger homes with gardens and balconies; and also public open spaces.

The aim is that Bridport House will be the springboard for the regeneration of the Colville Estate. Residents of Bridport House will soon be moved to allow demolition and development work to begin, while sites at Ottaway Court and the Rendlesham House Estate are already cleared, so no residents will have to move to allow development to proceed.

The funding ensures work can begin on these first blocks, while the Council is also working closely with residents and a developer consortium on progressing the regeneration of Alexandra National, Tower Court, Bridge House and Marion Court estates.

The HCA funding is part of a new Government initiative allowing councils to build new homes for social rent for the first time in several decades.

Cllr Karen Alcock, Deputy Mayor of Hackney, said: “This is good news for residents, and demonstrates that despite the economic downturn, Hackney Council remains committed to the regeneration of the borough s estates and to providing 21st-century homes for local people.”