A dozen new affordable homes part funded by proceeds from a Voluntary Right to Buy (VRtB) pilot in the West Midlands are nearing completion.

Housing association Longhurst Group is building the two-bedroom homes in Walsall, partly by using funds generated by the sale of 40 of its homes through the pilot.

The new homes, which are set to be completed by the end of March, will be made available on an affordable rent basis and are Longhurst’s first replacement units to be built as part of the VRtB scheme.

Marcus Keys, Longhurst’s Executive Director of Growth and Development, said: “We were pleased to take part in the Voluntary Right to Buy pilot as a Group and we hope those customers who took up the option of purchasing their property are enjoying owning their own home.

“We’re committed to providing the homes people want, where they’re needed most and by delivering 12 affordable homes on Beechdale in Walsall, we’re addressing a need for additional housing and helping to improve the community.

“The site, which was once our offices and previously a pub, had stood derelict for a number of years and had become a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

“Some of the proceeds of the sales through the Voluntary Right to Buy pilot have enabled us to bring these development plans forward at pace and we’re delighted to be nearing the end of the process.

“The homes are smart and modern and I’m sure they’ll prove popular with our customers who will soon be moving in.”

In total, 1,892 homes were sold by 44 housing associations as part of the Midlands VRtB pilot.