A former sheltered housing scheme is be demolished to make way for new affordable homes for social rent.

Cottsway Housing Association is redeveloping the empty 1960s properties in Witney where there are currently 23 vacant one-bedroom flats and three two-bedroom bungalows.

With demolition work due to take place this month, 30 modern one- and two-bed apartments for people aged over-55 in housing need will be built on the site.

The new apartments will have electric heating and hot water systems, as part of Cottsway’s commitment to move away from gas central heating to more sustainable heating sources. There will be balconies or terraces on some homes, and some of the ground-floor properties will have wet rooms.

A 30-year biodiversity management plan will also be put in place to ensure that conservation standards are met now and in years to come.

Homes England is supporting the redevelopment with a £2.55 million grant.

Colin Bloodworth, Cottsway’s Director of Development and Partnerships, said: “The current unoccupied properties at St Marys Court fall below the high standard of accommodation that we are committed to providing for our customers. We’re looking forward to transforming this site in Witney into modern, much-needed affordable housing for those aged over 55.

“We will be providing an additional four affordable homes by carrying out this work and will be installing features like solar panels and the infrastructure to provide electric vehicle charging points to help meet customers’ needs in the future. We are grateful to Homes England for providing grant support to enable us to provide all these homes for social rent, giving a more affordable option in an area where rental prices are high.”

The redevelopment of this site has been planned since 2020 and Cottsway has worked with previous residents to help them move to more suitable, improved accommodation in preparation for the work to take place.