COLCHESTER Council will buy seven houses off a building developer as it looks to reduce the number of households on its waiting list down from 2,590.

Combatting the housing shortage in the city has been a priority for the current administration and its commitment for social housing stands at constructing 350 more social homes between 2019 and 2024.

The average waiting time for properties which are three bedrooms or larger currently stands at more than 16 months, and 285 households are currently in temporary accommodation waiting to move into a council home.

But the council is also able to buy readymade houses as part of their efforts to reduce the backlog of those waiting for social housing, according to an agenda for a cabinet meeting which took place last week.

The seven houses are part of a housing development of 26 properties, for which planning permission was first approved in 2017; construction of the housing development is expected to be completed by October this year.

A section of the agenda read: “Proceeding with this opportunity and other similar opportunities, to work with developers to acquire units as part of their development, will help to alleviate pressure on the housing register.”

Colchester Borough Homes would then manage the seven homes once they are handed over to the council.