The Homes and Communities Agency has announced nearly £13m will be made available to provide more than 1000 new and affordable homes across the South West.

The 11 key sites include Gloucester, Torquay, Yeovil and Oakhampton creating thousands of jobs and apprenticeships within the construction industry.

Housing Minister John Healey said: 'We’re putting the weight of Government investment into building much-needed affordable homes, keeping people in work and giving young people a chance of apprenticeships.

'That’s why today I’m allocating £83 million to get 87 stalled developments across the country up and running again, creating 1,700 jobs and giving more than 2,200 first-time buyers the chance to take an affordable step onto the property ladder.

'In this recession, the Government has not stepped back and left the homes and jobs we need to the market. We’re using public funding to keep Britain building through the downturn.'

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