A block of flats could be bought to provide much needed council housing.

Brighton and Hove City Council could purchase the 38 new flats in Whitehawk after agreement at last night’s housing and new homes committee.

The development in Whitehawk Way, known as the Kubic Apartments, was built by a private developer but have never been occupied.

The flats are a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom homes, and include two wheelchair accessible properties.

If the purchase is agreed, the flats would be let as council-rented homes to people on the city’s housing register.

They could also be let to existing council tenants who want to downsize from a bigger property, and so help to free up larger family homes.

Councillors at the housing and new homes committee approved the report and made a recommendation to the strategy, finance and regeneration committee – which will make the final decision – to agree the purchase of the flats.

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Councillor Gill Williams, chairman of the housing and new homes committee, said: “We are committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing in the city and are already building more council homes.

“This proposed purchase is another way for us to provide additional council homes and, if it goes ahead, will provide a significant boost of 38 more good quality constructed flats.”

The report to the committee says the development was granted planning permission in 2018, which including an affordable housing element of 15 flats.

When no housing associations expressed an interest in purchasing the 15 homes, the developer reviewed options for the scheme and entered into discussions with the council about a whole block purchase.

Funding from the council’s home purchase policy could be used to purchase the homes. The policy enables the council to buy back former council homes and, as in this case, buy privately developed homes.

Last week celebrations were held to make the completion of 104 council-rented and shared ownership homes at Clarendon Place and 42 council flats nearby in Victoria Road, Portslade.

The highly energy-efficient one, two, and three bedroom flats are the first to be completed under Brighton and Hove City Council’s partnership with low-cost housing developer Hyde Group.