New homes could be for those in need the borough could be built faster than originally thought thanks to new Government funding.

Waltham Forest Council has been given £250,000 by Theresa May’s Government to pump into infrastructure that will help deliver new homes.

The funding is part of a three stage bidding process and, if successful in the next two rounds, the authority could receive up to £1.25 million over three years.

The scheme launched in May 2018 and will help the borough improve its systems to ensure housing delivery is timely, efficient and smooth, and to ensure the council is investing as best it can.

The money will be pledged to tech start-ups to bring cutting-edge technology into the council’s housing processes and improve housing decisions.

Cllr Simon Miller, cabinet member for economic growth, said: “Overseeing housing delivery is intensive work, which requires significant effort entering data and cleansing and maintaining databases to keep them accurate.

“We are really keen to look at how we can use innovative new technologies and techniques will make the process easier and more efficient as we strive to provide a decent roof over all our residents’ heads.

“This is an exciting step in the right direction, and we look forward to learning plenty and sharing these findings with other local authorities and organisations.”

Oliver Dowden, the Government’s minister for implementation, said: “Data is crucial in helping us plan and improve our public services, so we’ve established a commission to create a smarter Government.

“Funding projects like this mean we can get the best data scientists to help us solve challenges on housing, infrastructure and healthcare.”