PRE-FAB concrete flats branded ‘ugly’ will be bulldozed after cash was secured for new affordable homes.

The three three-storey 1950s blocks in De Wyche Road, Wychbold, will make way for 29 new flats after Spa Housing Group secured government funding for the development.

Negotiations are continuing with the four residents who privately own homes at the site, while the remainder are housing association tenants on long and short-term leases. Those tenants are being offered the chance to move to the new homes, once they are built.

Work will now start in January 2010 when the first block of flats – currently vacant – will be knocked down, with an estimated completion date in 2011.

Planning permission was secured in 2008 as previously reported, but the housing association has been in lengthy talks with the Homes and Communities Agency for the £4 million needed to complete the site.

The housing group, part of Festival Housing, had “extensively” consulted with residents on its plans and will also be asking them to help select the building contractor. Jane and Richard Mann are tenants in one of concrete flats where they live with their son Brandon.

Mrs Mann said: “We didn’t want to move but we are quite looking forward to living in a brand new house.”

Mr Mann said his neighbours have been offered new homes to replace their concrete flats.

The plans are for 17 houses – 13 terraced and four semi-detached – and 12 flats.

The homes will be either for rent or low cost ownership providing “warm economical accommodation for local people,” according to a housing group spokesman.

Richard Grounds, Festivals’ commercial director, said: “We are pleased to be bringing affordable housing to local people in Wychbold.

“The residents of De Wyche Road have been very supportive and we want to thank them for their patience while we have worked on the development. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the local community to ensure the success of this development.”