AN AMBITIOUS new housing strategy setting out plans to build at least 250 homes per year and take advantage of economic opportunities in Blaenau Gwent has been approved by councillors.

Blaenau Gwent council is aiming to increase the number of housing sites across the county borough and attract new developers to the area.

New opportunities such as a direct rail link to Cardiff railway station, removal of the Severn Bridge tolls and initiatives from the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal offer further incentives for development, the strategy says.

The new housing prospectus was given unanimous backing from Blaenau Gwent council's executive at a meeting on Wednesday, after several months of being drawn up.

Councillor Dai Davies, executive member for regeneration and economic development, said the council would be looking at all areas of the borough for potential development.

He said: "There are some huge opportunities with a number of big projects starting to come to fruition now.

"The important thing for me is we are looking at all areas of Blaenau Gwent, there is no one size fits all, it's about looking at all the plots of land we've got.

"[The housing strategy] is key to our economic development."

The strategy lists the 'major development opportunities' in the borough, focussing on those which can deliver greatest impact and contribution to house build targets.

Larger sites are located in the northern part of the borough in Ebbw Vale, Tredegar and Upper Ebbw Fach.

A council report says attracting housing developers to the area has "proven difficult" in recent years, reflected by low levels of house building.

But the strategy outlines a number of developments happening both in the borough, and nearby, which present new opportunities.

These include infrastructure now being in place for developments, with the Heads of the Valleys road project between Brynmawr and Gilwern nearing completion, a rail link to Cardiff and road improvements to support the two main regeneration sites in Ebbw Vale.

Ebbw Vales Enterprise Zone status has also opened up new opportunities through City Deal and the Valleys Tech Park, the strategy says.

Council leader, Cllr Nigel Daniels, said he hoped the facilities in the area would help attract people to Blaenau Gwent.

The aim of the prospectus is to build at least 250 homes per year to 2021, with at least 10 per cent affordable housing.

It also aims to help improve the quality of homes and meet the needs of vulnerable households.