A DISTRICT council has announced that it has been issued with a grant of nearly £1-million to go towards purchasing four properties.

Torridge District Council has confirmed that it has been awarded a grant of £944,925 to help meet its housing delivery targets after a successful bid to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

The council has acquired three new three-bed properties and two new two-bed properties for a total cost of £1,146,565. To comply with the conditions of the grant, four of the properties will be used by Torridge District Council for temporary accommodation needs and one will be allocated for resettlement purposes.

In addition to the grant sum of £944,925, Torridge District Council will receive £21,000 per property to cover any further costs of obtaining the property that may incur, as well as a ten per cent uplift as they are all new builds. The first property will be available this month, with the further four new builds being completed in September 2025.

Councillor Claire Hodson, lead member for homelessness and Housing, said: "The awarding of this grant is fantastic news and will have a significant impact in enabling us to achieve the objectives of the Local Authority Housing Fund. It will help us to reduce local housing pressures, reduce costs on temporary accommodation, provide sustainable settled housing and assist in the delivery of new housing stock.

"In addition, the receipt of this grant provides us with an excellent opportunity to acquire good quality properties with the added benefit of gaining assets which will be of long-term benefit to our communities."

Torridge District Council declined to confirm the locations of the new properties in response to an enquiry seeking confirmation by The Post.