A senior councillor has defended plans to sell a council-owned plot of land for £1 so an estate of environmentally friendly homes can be built.
Leicester City Council is to dispose of the 13 acre former allotment site off Heathcott Road, near Leicester's Saffron Lane, for the nominal sum after planning permission was granted for a 68 home development.
The family homes will be managed by the East Midlands Housing Association and the council will be able to place tenants on the housing waiting list in them.
However some councillors have raised concerns that the disused site, which has a value of £1.5 million, should not be sold so cheaply.
Councillor Patrick Kitterick, chairman of the planning committee that approved the scheme, said the £1.5 million would provide much needed new social housing at a cost to the council of £22,000 for each property.
He said: "If anyone can find a home to this standard for £22,000 let me know and I will bring my chequebook."
Fellow committee member councillor Bill Shelton said the site fell within the Freeman ward that he represents.
He said: "The area is derelict. It is disused allotments.
"It has had quite a long history of arson and drug taking and quite a lot of anti-social behaviour.
"I am sure I speak for the residents when I say I am in favour of it."
The committee heard that developers Westleigh, who will build the homes, were unable to make the usual financial contributions to provide open spaces and education.
Committee member councillor Barbara Potter was the only one of seven members to vote against the scheme. She said she was shocked there was to be no financial contribution to local schools and questioned whether the land should be sold for £1.
The land is now set to be transferred to Saffron Lane Neighbourhood Council (SLNC), a charity set up for the benefit of people on the estate.
It is anticipated the development will cost £7 million and the council has pointed out this investment would not have been secured with out the sale for the nominal sum.
There were no formal planning objections to the scheme lodged.
The homes will be built to what is described as Passivhaus standards – meaning they will have high levels of insulation and carefully controlled ventilation standards.
The council says it will be the largest affordable Passivhaus scheme in the country.
The Homes and Communities Agency is contributing £1.5 million to the project.
SLNC will also extend its Saffron Acres Project, a community allotment and food production scheme, that will run alongside the development.
