Lindum has begun work on much-needed affordable homes in south Cambridgeshire.

Peterborough-based Cross Keys Homes secured £731,000 of funding to support the development of 22 affordable homes in the village of Willingham.

It will include 15 homes for affordable rent and a seven homes for shared ownership.

The site, in Station Road, was sourced by Lindum’s Joint Venture team and Lindum’s Peterborough Division is now the main contractor on the project.

Azhar Ahmed, Senior Development Manager at Cross Keys Homes, said: “The current shortage of affordable homes doesn’t just affect larger towns and cities, it’s impacting on smaller, rural communities too.

“We’re working with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and Local Authorities in locations around the county to provide new homes in the places that need them most, like Willingham.”

The homes are due for completion in spring 2019 and will be allocated as a priority to people with a local connection to the area.

Lindum Peterborough MD Mick Papworth said he was pleased to be working with Cross Keys Homes again.

“We have a good relationship with Cross Keys Homes and this work comes on the back of other successful projects we’ve completed together, including residential developments in Peterborough city centre’s Priestgate, Endurance House in Geneva Street and The Peverels in Dogsthorpe.

“As a local company, with a Cambridgeshire-based workforce, we are pleased to be involved in a construction project which is providing important and much-needed accommodation for our community.

“In addition, we were happy to be able to support Cross Keys Homes from the very start of this project and to be able to provide them with a suitable site for these homes. It is a good example of how Lindum can provide a full complement of services to our clients.”

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority provided £525,000 in funding for the homes and a £206,000 grant came from Homes England.

Mayor James Palmer of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, said: “The Combined Authority was tasked with accelerating house building rates and that includes the delivery of much needed affordable homes like this scheme in South Cambridgeshire.

“It is very positive to see developments ready to break ground which were backed by the Combined Authority Board less than 12 months ago. Many more new and innovative housing projects such as Community Land Trusts are in the pipeline as momentum builds to deliver 2,000 affordable home starts by March 2022 across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.”