Labour’s shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds praised a major council housing initiative during a visit to Ipswich on Thursday.

Ipswich Star: Shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds visited Bader Close council house scheme in Ipswich with local Labour party officials.Shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds visited Bader Close council house scheme in Ipswich with local Labour party officials. (Image: Archant)

Ms Reynolds was taken on a tour of the 108-home Bader Close development, the biggest scheme in the town for 50 years, where she saw both completed properties and the site as a whole.

During the visit, she said: “I was hugely impressed by what I saw.

Its one of the biggest new council house developments I’ve visited.

“This is the type of scheme which a Labour Government will encourage other councils to undertake.”

Ipswich Star: Shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds visited Bader Close council house scheme in Ipswich with local Labour party officials. David Ellesmere, Leader of Ipswich Borough Council and Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Ipswich with shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds.Shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds visited Bader Close council house scheme in Ipswich with local Labour party officials. David Ellesmere, Leader of Ipswich Borough Council and Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Ipswich with shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds. (Image: Archant)

The Bader Close development is part of a major housing drive from the borough council which will provide more affordable homes to people in the area.

Five families are now due to move into their homes by Christmas and it is hoped more than 100 will be in residence in the next 12 months.

David Ellesmere, leader of the borough council and Labour’s parliamentary candidate, added: “I met Emma ealier in the year and talked about our plans for new homes in Ipswich. I was delighted to welcome her back so she could see the progress that we have made.”