Plans for 51 affordable homes in a west Suffolk village have been put in place by the county council to offer people on low incomes the opportunity to get on the housing ladder.

Suffolk County Council (SCC) says it is looking to develop a 4.5-acre site which is owned as part of its County Farms estate in Cockfield, near Lavenham.

This follows a decision on March 21 at Babergh District Council Development Control Committee which approved a planning application for the proposed development.

The new homes are being treated as a pilot project and are expected to take around two years to complete

Richard Smith, SCC’s cabinet member for finance, said: “We want to make the most of the local assets we have as an authority and work with experienced partners to deliver the homes and services our communities need in years to come.

“We take a dynamic approach to finding ways to meet the continuing financial challenges we face as a council and this project will result in financial returns that can be used to support the frontline services we continue to deliver to local residents.

“I am very pleased that there is consensus to proceed with this development in Cockfield.

“We are a largely rural county and we want to see local rural communities thrive.

“We are treating this as a pilot project and as we move forward with this work, we may find other sites that offer similar potential opportunities to deliver the housing that’s needed as our population continues to grow in the future.”

With the support of the local planning authority in place, SCC has confirmed plans for:

- 12 affordable rented homes for local people

- Six affordable shared ownership homes

- Five homes specifically for first time buyers

- Five bungalows for local residents who wish to downsize

- 14 houses to be sold on the open market

- Nine self-build plots (five of which are primarily aimed at providing affordable homes for local people).

The council says it will now progress plans for this project, working closely with industry partners and will continue to engage collaboratively with the local parish council.