HCA - Green light for new homes in South Shields
26 Aug 2010 03:32 PM
South Tyneside Council is set to build 20 new eco-friendly homes in South Shields, after the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) confirmed £803,000 in funding.
The £2m project will create 20 new two-bedroom bungalows in Druridge Crescent in the Horsley Hill area. They will be designed primarily for over-60s and others who need ground-floor accommodation, in an area dominated by family housing.
"This scheme will be a real boost for Horsley Hill," said Brian Peel, Head of Area for the Homes and Communities Agency. "The new homes will be ideal for downsizers who want a smaller home in their own community, and will also free up larger houses for local families."
The scheme is one of a number of housing projects supported by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) in South Tyneside.
Others include the regeneration of Cleadon Park, where the HCA is helping Isos Housing Group to create over 700 homes, and the development of new homes for older people at Rackly Way in Whitburn.
The new bungalows, which will be built by Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) and managed by South Tyneside Homes, will also benefit from more than £1m in funding from South Tyneside Council.
South Tyneside recently became the first council in the North East to complete the construction of new housing through the Homes and Communities Agency’s Local Authority New Build programme, unveiling new bungalows in Biddick Hall.
Councillor Iain Malcolm, Leader of South Tyneside Council and a local Horsley Hill ward councillor, said: "This is very welcome news for the borough and for local residents. It was always our intention to bring a quality housing development to this site and I’m delighted that this is now going to happen – thanks to this funding from the HCA which is backed by more than £1 million of investment from the Council."
"We have a very high demand for affordable two bedroom bungalows and this development will be a real asset for the whole area, by enhancing the mix of social housing on offer in South Tyneside and Horsley Hill in particular. We have a cleared site with a contractor and planning permission in place, so it’s all systems go for the construction work to begin in October."
David Mellor, Managing Director of Frank Haslam Milan (North East), said: "We are delighted that this scheme has been given the go-ahead by the HCA. The partnership between ourselves and the Council has worked extremely well and we are very pleased to be working on this fifth new build scheme in South Tyneside."
Like the recently completed homes at Biddick Hall, the bungalows will set a new standard for green living in South Tyneside, with energy efficiency measures bringing lower fuel bills and reduced CO2 emissions.
The Council has also pledged to boost local employment opportunities through the scheme, by working in partnership with FHM to create and safeguard apprenticeship places on developments across South Tyneside.
For more media information, contact Ben Landon, Communications Manager (North East), on 0191 497 7685 or ben.landon@hca.gsx.gov.uk.
Notes to editors:
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the single, national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England. Our role is to create opportunity for people to live in high-quality, sustainable places. We provide funding for affordable housing, bring land back into productive use and improve quality of life by raising standards for the physical and social environment.