Work has begun on Ipswich’s biggest council house-building scheme for 50 years.

The Bader Close development will see 108 homes built in south-east Ipswich – and another 174 are in the pipeline in Ravenswood, Ulster Avenue and Bramford Road as part of the borough’s plans to build 300 houses in the next three years.

Council leader David Ellesmere was at Bader Close to see the start of work on site. He was joined by mayor Bill

Quinton, other councillors and representatives of Keepmoat, the company building the homes for the Council.

Councillors also met new apprentice Freddy Stratford, who has been taken on by Keepmoat. As part of the tender process for Bader Close the council stipulated that the building contractor should provide opportunities for apprentices and pay their staff the Living Wage.

Mr Ellesmere said: “This is a major milestone in our ambitious plans to build more than 300 new homes in Ipswich.

“Rather than stand by in the face of the national house building crisis, we have decided to build houses ourselves.

“Our houses will provide homes for 300 Ipswich families currently living overcrowded or unsuitable accommodation, and will also support jobs in the construction industry and the wider local economy.”

The first tenants in Bader Close should be in their new homes by Christmas, and the development should be completed by the end of 2015.