Colchester council’s commercial housing company has started worked on a housing scheme in Lexden.

The family homes – which will be for sale and for affordable rent – are being created inside a large Victoria villa in Creffield Road which is being converted into six flats and two three-storey townhouses in the grounds. Two of the six flats will be retained by the council to support local housing need.

The council commercial housing firm Colchester Amphora Homes Ltd (CAHL) has appointed Tiptree-based building contractors TJ Evers to carry out the works.

MORE – New Iceland outlet set to open in ancient Essex townCouncillor Nick Barlow, chair of Colchester Commercial Holdings’ Board, said it was “exciting” to see the start of construction work. “I’m particularly pleased to see a local contractor appointed, supporting the Council’s ambition to ensure the borough’s business sector is best placed for recovery,” he added.

Amphora Homes plans to build 350 new homes across the borough by 2024, with the Lexden scheme reaching the market around spring 2021. All profits from sales will be returned to Colchester Borough Council for reinvestment into its core services.

The Creffield Road homes are designed by architects Barefoot & Gilles, the homes will offer flexible living, with open plan kitchens and dining/breakfast rooms, master bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, allocated off-street parking and landscaped gardens. Construction is being project managed on site by Apex Project Management.

An archaeological investigation undertaken by CAT before the building works could go ahead revealed a well-preserved section of a two-mile Roman road that connected the city of Camulodunum to the prestigious temple complex at Gosbecks.