10 January 2010
Door opens to new life
Fourteen Woolhope residents have been celebrating Christmas early after being handed the keys to new affordable homes by Kemble Housing.
Residents attended a special event on December 14 to mark the completion of an £833,000 development of six homes in the Herefordshire village.
The event took place at one of the new properties in St George’s Road, Woolhope. It was also attended by staff from affordable housing provider Kemble Housing, part of West Mercia Housing Group, and Herefordshire Council and special guest The Countess of Darnley, HM Lord Lieutenant for Herefordshire. The celebration event included refreshments in the village hall and a visit from Santa Claus.
Rachael Bagley, who has just moved in to her new home, said: “We cannot believe how lucky we are as the house is fantastic. We have been really surprised by the high level of attention that has gone into the development.
“Little things like a bat house and sparrow terrace are things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from social housing.
“Kemble Housing has really thought about the green credentials by installing triple glazing, extra insulation, air source heating, and wooden window frames and doors which look nicer than PVC. We are delighted with our new home.”
The homes, of which four are for rent and two are part-rent, part-buy, are specifically for people who have a local connection to the area but cannot afford to buy a house.
Jason MacGilp, executive director of development and regeneration at West Merica Housing Group, said: “There is a particular need for affordable housing in rural areas where young people and families cannot afford high property prices and have to move away from their friends and relatives. We hope that this development will start to reverse this trend and help to create a more sustainable community within the village.
“We are committed to providing homes that meet people’s needs and were delighted to celebrate with the residents that will be benefitting from these new homes.”
The properties have been designed and built to ensure that they are in keeping with the character and appearance of the village, with dormer windows and bricks specifically chosen to blend in with neighbouring houses.
The development was funded by a mix of West Mercia Housing Group’s funds and a grant from the Homes and Communities Agency, gained through West Mercia Housing Group’s membership of Spectrum Development Partnership.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
West Mercia Housing Group, based in Bromsgrove, manages approximately 23,500 homes across the West Midlands, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
The group is structured to facilitate local accountability and the provision of high quality local services.
Founded in 1998, the group consists of Whitefriars Housing Group, Harden Housing Association, Nexus Housing, Kemble Housing and Herefordshire Supported Housing for Young People Project (SHYPP).
West Mercia Housing Group is a development partner with the Homes and Communities Agency. It is the lead member of the Spectrum Development Partnership that consists of Advance Housing Association, Bromsgrove District Housing Trust, Central Borders Housing Group, Heantun Housing Association, Herefordshire Housing, Nehemiah UCHA, Stafford and Rural Homes, Severnside Housing and Solihull Community Housing.
For further information please contact Val Hunt or Nikki Cheung, at The Bridge Group, on 024 7656 0440, or v.hunt@bridge-group.co.uk