Plans for three sites in Greenwich to make way for new affordable homes have been announced by the council.

Greenwich Council has approved a scheme to transfer sites to Meridan Home Start to build one, two, three and four bed homes.

Meridian Home Start was established by Greenwich Council but operates independently from it and is free from borrowing restrictions.

The three new builds include the former Fred Styles House in Charlton Church Lane, and sites in Shepherds Leas and on Vincent Road, which will increase the number of new affordable homes built to 206.

This follows a previous scheme in Rochester Way, which is set to be complete in 2019, as well as plans already announced for Sandpits Place and Carnbrook Road.

MHS has a target of starting properties at 65 per cent of the market rate, which is lower than rate for "affordable" homes.

Richard Reynolds, chairman, Meridian Home Start, said: "With our first six developments secured we are now well on our way to achieving our ambitious target of building hundreds of additional affordable homes for the people of Greenwich."

The number of households that are being put into temporary accommodation by the council has risen by more than 170 per cent in the last four years.

Homelessness in Greenwich, like much of London, has continued to rise and there were 575 households in temporary accommodation by last year.

The council blamed part of the substantial rise on a decreasing number of private rents available - which made up 52.2 per cent of cases resulting in homelessness.

Planning permission has been granted for 2,380 new homes in the borough in the last year, and 331 of these have been earmarked to be affordable

Councillor Danny Thorpe, deputy leader and cabinet member for regeneration and sustainability, said: "Meridian Home Start can access funding streams that are not available to the council to increase the supply of genuinely affordable homes for residents in the borough.

"This is just one of the ways we are following through on our commitment to provide more affordable homes in Greenwich."