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Allendale Community Housing celebrates completion of affordable homes development
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| Tuesday 20th September 2011 |
Not-for-profit local organisation Allendale Community Housing (ACH) has announced the completion of its Allen Garden development in the Northumberland village of Allendale. Conservative Member of Parliament for Hexham Guy Opperman officially opened the development on Friday 16 September.
The development is situated in the heart of the village and was created in partnership with Durham-based housing association Four Housing Group, local developer Newman Developments and Northumberland County Council. The site will provide three high-quality, affordable homes available for social rent from this month.
Allen Garden was developed to help tackle the shortage of affordable housing in the area and received funding from Four Housing Group and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
The MP praised the development for its innovative approach to solving the on-going problem of affordable housing in the village.
Allendale Community Housing is a community-owned company run to Community Land Trust principles, run by a board of directors from the area who donate their time free of charge. They work to identify opportunities for the development of affordable housing and workspaces in Allendale and the surrounding area in partnership with other local organisations.
David Stewart OBE is Chair of Allendale Community Housing. He said, "We think this is a great example of the Big Society in action, a community group identifying and meeting a local need with the help of housing professionals and local authority experts. The homes are built to extremely high environmental standards making them cheaper to live in, the work force has been mainly local craftsmen, and the tenants will all be local people - a win, win, win."
The Allen Garden development has taken over 12 months to complete with one three-bedroom house and two flats uniquely designed to complement the local landscape. All of the homes meet Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, a nationally recognized benchmark for environmental building. Four Housing Group has brokered a management agreement with ISOS Housing, who will oversee theletting of the homes.
Lynda Peacock, Four Housing Group director of development and regeneration, said, "Four Housing Group is proud to have been able to offer advisory and financial support to Allendale Community Housing to assist in building these homes. We are dedicated to supporting both rural and urban sustainable development across the North East. This development fully embodies that principle, with local Allendale people dedicating their own time and energies in making this happen and in having an excellent local builder andworkforce who has really got behind the plans."
The scheme was made possible by a grant of £185,000 from the Homes and Communities Agency.
"This is a great example of local people taking the lead in providing quality, affordable housing in their own community," said Pat Ritchie, Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency. "Small-scale rural developments like this one can make a huge difference to people's lives, especially in areas like Allendale where people would otherwise be forced to move away in search of a home they can afford."
Councillor Tom Brechany, executive member responsible for housing at Northumberland County Council said: "It is great to see this local housing scheme completed and ready for occupation - providing further opportunities to access affordable housing for local people in rural Northumberland."
For more information about where Four Housing Group is providing affordable housing in your area visit www.4hg.co.uk |
| Posted by 0 for Four Housing Group |
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