Four council house estates in the Swadlincote area, two of them in Woodville - could be set for either refurbishment or development – possibly with more homes built.

South Derbyshire District Council is going to investigate the best options for five council house estates which are either in need of improvement works or are seen to have a greater potential.

All five are small housing estates including a low number of houses or extended blocks of apartments.

These are:

• Holmes Court, Swadlincote

• Brightman Houses, Swadlincote

• Blacksmiths Lane, Woodville

• Smallthorn Place, Woodville

• Fisher Close, Repton

The council says these housing schemes have been identified after investigating their general condition and now require 'a comprehensive options appraisal to determine whether future refurbishment, remodelling or redevelopment provides the most advantageous model for future investment'.

It manages around 3,000 properties, half of which are houses while the other half are flats and bungalows.

Papers published by the council ahead of a meeting on Thursday, August 20, show that Smallthorn Place in Woodville is to be the first scheme to be looked at more closely as a pilot for all five.

Work to assess the options for the Woodville site and which one would be the best fit is to cost £13,000.

Council officers wrote: "The Smallthorn Place scheme has been identified as potentially requiring significant investment to improve its overall appearance and the condition of communal areas and staircases.

"The scheme also sits in a large 'footprint' of land which includes unattractive and underused car parking areas, grassed areas and storage sheds.

"The site could possibly provide additional units of accommodation and create a more attractive living environment."

The authority is also looking into how it can make its existing council homes more environmentally friendly in an effort to reduce its carbon output.

It is hoping to examine each and every home to see which could be retrofitted with improvements to help them retain more heat or need less energy to run – reducing household bills and improving overall health.

The council will also see "whether future investment in carbon reduction technology is economically viable or whether more major refurbishment or total redevelopment provides a more environmentally and financially sustainable alternative".

It is hoping to host a low carbon housing event in the autumn in cooperation with Low Carbon Homes UK and the Local Authority Energy Partnership to investigate the issue further – along with how to fund it.