A NEW affordable housing project is set to go ahead as the development have been given the green light by the town hall.

Land where a school once stood will be used for the new development which was approved this week.

The plans for 68 homes at the Breightmet site are part of a partnership between a housing association and developer.

The new housing at Withins Drive would have 51 houses and 17 flats.

A mixture of two and three-bedroom houses are planned alongside four one-bedroom cottage flats and 13 two-bedroom maisonette apartments.

All of the properties will be available as affordable rented accommodation, funded by Homes England.

The site was last used by St Osmund and St Andrew R.C. Primary School but the building has now been demolished.

Previous plans for the site included a 90-bed care home and two housing developments of 30 and 41 homes respectively.

Watson Homes, which is purchasing the land, wants to start work on the site in November with aim of finishing by March 2021.