WORK on a major housing development on one of Colchester’s busiest roads has finally got underway - seven years after it secured planning permission.

Government funding and a deal with a social housing provider means construction work on the 110 homes on Brook Street can begin.

The development was first given permission in 2006, but the financial downturn saw developer Mersea Homes put off building the estate.

A fresh agreement, using £1 million of Government funds, has seen builders start pulling down the hoardings on the site this week.

The deal, between Mersea Homes, Colne Housing Society and Colchester Council, means 72 of the homes will be rented as affordable housing.

Tina Bourne, councillor responsible for housing, said the deal would help reduce Colchester’s ever-growing waiting list for social housing.

She said: “I’m delighted we have been able to work with the developer and Colne Housing to provide affordable homes in Colchester.

“They’re definitely needed. We have been trying to provide these homes for a number of years.

“It’s good it has finally got going and great news there is so much on that site.”

The affordable homes will be sold to Colne Housing, which will then rent them to Colchester Council tenants.

Much of the funding has come from a £1 million grant from the Homes and Communities Agency and various section 106 agreements.

The money was pooled together for this one site after other affordable housing schemes across Colchester were postponed or cancelled.

The Brook Street development includes a car park for shoppers and an access road from a new roundabout.

Original plans to provide play equipment at the site have been scrapped, although a recreational area will go ahead as a public space.

Planning permission was won at the same time Brook Street was labelled an air quality management area due to pollution pumped out by vehicles stuck in traffic.

The deadline for building the homes was extended in 2010 for a further three years.

At the time, Mersea Homes said it was unable to start work because of the financial downturn.