The build of five new affordable homes to support those who had previously found themselves homeless has started in a Norfolk town.

Work has officially started on the £926,000 project in Thetford, which is a joint initiative between Breckland Council and Broadland Housing Association.

The homes will be built on a former school car park in Elm Road.

It will include four houses and one bungalow, all with one bedroom and built with a timber frame design for "speed of construction and to ensure low embodied carbon".

The residents will be supported with housing management and tenancy support services by Access Community Trust.

Gordon Bambridge, executive member for housing and homelessness, said: “I am delighted to see building work starting on this new partnership project within Breckland, aimed at supporting former homeless residents who need support to get back into long-term accommodation."

Michael Newey, chief executive of Broadland Housing Association, added: "By bringing back into use a piece of surplus land, we can ensure that more people leave the streets and can have a home to call their own.”

The five new homes will be completed in early 2023.