MORE than 200 affordable houses could be built in Colchester by the summer.

Sites for the developments have been announced and it is hoped they will help relieve the town’s social housing shortage.

The Homes and Communities Agency and Colchester Council awarded £8.3million for the schemes in September.

Chelmer Housing Partnership, working with Colchester Council, Savills, Flagship Housing Group, Persimmon Homes, Bellway Homes and Taylor Wimpey, said it would use its portion of the funding to develop 214 homes in the town by July next year.

The projects include 49 properties on former Army garrison land, and 57 in Cowdray Avenue.

Another 56 homes are to be built in Port Lane and 52 on Hythe Hill.

Carl Hockey, Chelmer Housing Partnership development and regeneration manager, said: “We are delighted to be able to work with our partners and Colchester Council to provide much-needed affordable family homes to the people of Colchester.

“All of the properties will be built to a very high standard to ensure running costs are as low as possible for the residents.”

Tim Young, Colchester councillor responsible for housing and community safety, said: “I am very pleased that by working flexibly with our housing association partners and using the council’s limited resources innovatively, we have been able to significantly increase the overall total of affordable homes normally expected on these sites.

“Some of these sites were stalled due to the downturn in the housing market, but the homes now being built will be able to provide much-needed affordable homes for families in housing need.”