Plans for a complex of sheltered homes provided double cause for cele-bration when the scheme was approved.Breckland Council has been closely working with McCarthy and Stone on the firm's plans to develop a plot of land in Queens Road, Attleborough.

Plans for a complex of sheltered homes provided double cause for cele-bration when the scheme was approved.

Breckland Council has been closely working with McCarthy and Stone on the firm's plans to develop a plot of land in Queens Road, Attleborough.

The company, which wanted to build 38 sheltered apartments for over-55s, usually opts out of offering a percentage of homes as affordable housing, instead choosing to contribute a finan-cial sum. But now, after negotiating with Breckland's housing team, McCarthy and Stone will for the first time in the country be offering affordable homes on site.

Darryl Smith, the council's principal housing officer, said: “We're very chuffed. It's easy to just take the money and run, but this is a result of a lot of hard work and negotiations.

“Lee Webster deserves a lot of credit for this. He spent a lot of time in talks, sitting down, working this out. We would hope this is the start of McCarthy now offering affordable home provisions in all their developments.

“People at the latter end of the market need affordable homes, too.

“Some people don't have a healthy pension to fall back on, or they don't have a lot of money but have a house they want to sell and free up finances. This gives them the opportunity.”

Breckland's development control committee approved plans on Monday that will see a single, detached building being build to house the 38 apartments, plus gardens.