Council Buys Three More Affordable Homes at Riverbrook Gardens, Alnwick

Northumberland County Council is adding to Alnwick's stock of affordable homes. The authority has agreed to fund £408,000 to buy three more two-bedroom houses on the Story Homes development at Riverbrook Gardens, off Alnmouth Road, and let them at an affordable rent.

Once the properties are complete they will be listed on Northumberland Homefinder, the county's register for social and affordable housing, and offered to local people in housing need. The rent is capped at no more than 80 per cent of the equivalent market rate, the standard definition of "affordable rent".

Building on an existing scheme

The purchase follows an earlier phase on the same estate, where the council bought eight two-bedroom affordable homes in 2024. Those properties are now all allocated and occupied. With these three added, the authority will have secured 13 new affordable homes in Alnwick over the last three years.

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Affordable rent is set at up to 80 per cent of the local market rate, with tenancies allocated through the Northumberland Homefinder register rather than let on the open market.

Why it matters locally

Alnwick, like much of rural Northumberland, faces real pressure on housing. Strong demand from second homes and holiday lets, combined with local wages that lag behind house prices, can make it hard for younger residents and families to find somewhere they can afford to rent in the town where they grew up or work.

Buying homes within a new-build development and holding them for affordable rent is one way the council is trying to keep a share of new housing within reach of local people, rather than leaving supply entirely to the open market. Two-bedroom houses are among the most sought-after sizes for small families and couples.

Prospective tenants who want to be considered for affordable homes in Alnwick can register with Northumberland Homefinder through the county council.

You can read the council's announcement on the Northumberland County Council website.

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