A £10.5million regeneration scheme in Castlefield will see Red Kite Housing create 180 new homes on the site of old blocks of flats which are mostly empty.

The flagship plans were first mooted when Red Kite took over Wycombe District Council’s housing stock in 2011.

The Castlefield Star Blocks, in Pettifer Way and Chairborough Road, do not currently meet the required standards and developers plan to start work in summer 2017, mainly creating a mixture of one and two-bedroom apartments.

There will also be a small number of two and three-bedroom houses, according to bosses at the housing company.

As well as boosting plans to “regenerate” the Castlefield area, Red Kite says it hopes it will also provide an affordable option for people with aspirations to buy their own homes.

Red Kite director of operations, Alan Keers, said: “This regeneration scheme is going to have a huge, positive impact on the local area at Castlefield as it will provide much-needed new homes for our community.

“Having spoken with our customers through a range of meetings, workshops and drop-in events, we have been working to design a scheme that makes the best use of the complex landscape and compliments the stunning views and surrounding countryside.

“We are really looking forward to starting work on these new homes and transforming the area into one that local people, and those across the district, can be proud of.”

Current residents of Castlefield’s Star Blocks have been consulted over the multi-million pound plans and will all be moved into different accommodation before the buildings are demolished.

For those who want to, they will return to the new homes once they are available, Red Kite has confirmed.

The planned construction appears to have received a mixed reaction from Castlefield residents.

Peter Skorc, of McClellan Place, said: “It is difficult to say if they’ll improve them, but £10million seems to be a bit much.”

Krzysztof Adamczuk, of Chairborough Road, said: “I’ve lived in Totteridge before with Red Kite, and they’re a good company but they take too long to do anything. But it’s [the plans] okay.”

Alongside the design of the scheme, the housing provider is currently working with planners to submit a planning application in November 2016.

Bosses hope they will gain permission to go ahead with the building in spring 2017 and expect to start work in the summer of the same year.