A £29m project to bring more than 250 much-needed homes to Ebbw Vale has been hailed an “exciting new development” by the local authority.

Persimmon Homes, one of the largest house builders in Cymru, has started work on 277 houses on the former Ebbw Vale Comprehensive School and College site.

The development on Waun-Y-Pound Road will be known as Carn Y Cefn and will be made up of two, three and four-bedroom homes.

Only 55 of the properties will be available for social rent with housing association United Welsh for prospective tenants on the Blaenau Gwent Council Common Housing Register.

As well as delivering desperately-needed homes to the area the development will create more than 200 jobs over the five-year construction period, as well as boosting the local economy by £7m per annum.

Persimmon has agreed to contribute £783,354 towards education provision, which will be split between Glyncoed and Willowtown Primary Schools.