Croydon Council is building an eco-estate for the town.

Deputy Council leader, Dudley Mead, went blue collar last week as he tried out his bricklaying skills at Croydon Council’s new eco house building programme.

Coun Mead visited the site on Tuesday and was joined by contractor Osborne Homes Division which is helping the council develop the schemes.

The first phase will see 32 three, four- and five-bed family homes built in Sumner Gardens, Broad Green, the first site to begin construction.

Built to meet robust eco standards, the homes will be equipped with environmentally friendly features such solar panels, wind turbines and rainwater retaining devices.

Plans for a second batch of homes are already underway and the council hopes that, with the setting up of its housing company to help secure further grant funding, it will be able to continue to build more affordable homes in the borough in future.

Coun Mead said: “I believe that the quickest and most effective way of addressing the acute housing shortage and overcrowding in the borough is through investment in council housing.

“Croydon has an excellent reputation for looking after its tenants and, as a strong local authority, we should be given the means to construct good quality, eco-friendly, council homes.

“Phase one of our new house-building programme is just a start. My intention is for us to be building a hundred homes in the borough every year and we’re now working towards achieving this ambitious target.”

Nicola Dibb, of Osborne said: “We are delighted to be constructing this innovative project for Croydon Council. We bring to the scheme a wealth of expertise in sustainable housing, developed since 2005 with our ground-breaking eco demonstration house at the BRE in Watford. We look forward to completing what we know will be a very successful project for all those involved.”