Teignbridge makes inroads into affordable housing provision with £1.14M investment

By PRSD, on Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Teignbridge District Council has invested £1.14M in affordable homes in 2009/10 to deliver as many new homes as in the previous three years combined

The council provided 174 new homes between April 2009 and April 2010, more than double the previous year’s amount and exactly equal to the number provided from April 2006 to April 2009. The figures for the housing provision are: 2005/6: 53; 2006/7: 35; 2007/8: 56; 2008/9: 83; 2009/10: 174

The council points out that among the reasons for the boost are strong negotiations on affordable housing targets, pushing for 40 per cent of major new schemes to provide affordable housing; ‘off the shelf’ purchases in partnership with Housing Associations, helping developers sell new homes during the credit crunch; increased investment by the Homes and Communities Agency (£7.4M in 2009/10) matched by rising council investment (£1.14M in 2009/10); and the sale of surplus council-owned land, such as former car parks, to local Housing Associations for development.  At the heart of the progress has been the development of good working relationships with the Homes and Communities Agency and Registered Social Landlords, which has help Teignbridge work together with partners to cut down on red tape and encourage appropriate new building.

Cllr Ray Frost, Teignbridge executive spokesperson for housing services told the PRSD:“We’re very proud to be delivering more good quality, affordable homes which are transforming lives all around the district. It’s the result of years of hard work which has seen us change our approach and look for new ways to provide homes, such as by buying ready-built properties from developers when they’re struggling to sell them privately. This provides more security for developers, encouraging them to build, and all-important affordable homes for local people.

“Around the country affordable housing is a hot topic for people, many of whom are feeling the bite of the recession and need more opportunities to rent or buy a home they can afford. In past years we’d have liked to have provided more homes, but now there’s a very strong feeling that we’ve turned a corner and can really deliver the goods.  “We’ve set ourselves tough targets as demand is always high. Our new housing strategy calls for 1,000 homes over five years, raising the bar and driving us to find new ways of making it happen. Already for 2010/11 we already have 160 fully-funded homes under construction with another 132 homes awaiting funding decisions from the Homes and Communities Agency.

“Local people have been incredibly patient in difficult times, waiting for us to really crack the issue and find a winning formula for providing new homes. Demand continues to be high, but we’re making progress like never before and have some really ambitious plans. Building new affordable homes is one piece of the puzzle, but there are other ways to provide decent homes. For example, we’re doing a lot of work to bring empty properties back on to the market as affordable homes and this, alongside many new builds, will help more and more families find an affordable place to call home.”

Among the new developments for 2009/10 were:

Whitelake Place, Newton Abbot:
This development was a partnership with Sanctuary Housing Association, delivering 77 news homes in Newton Abbot. The development included 35 one-bed flats, 38 two-beds and four three-beds, providing a mixture of high quality, general rented and shared ownership accommodation across three blocks. The scheme was built to an EcoHomes standard of ‘Very Good’ and featured fully-fitted kitchens, balconies – some with views of the local nature reserve – and an advanced heating system to provide cost-effective heating for residents.  It was opened in November 2009.

Inverteign Heights, Teignmouth:
Providing 23 homes in partnership with Tor Homes, Inverteign Heights consists of 2 one-bed properties, 13 two-beds and 8 three-beds. The £3.5M development was especially notable for providing local mum Jade Wilby and her partner Matthew Johnson with a home especially adapted for Jade’s son Josh, 6, who suffers from cerebral palsy.

Teignbridge worked closely with the Occupational Therapist from Devon County Council, Tor Homes and the builders Midas Homes to make sure the house was right for the family’s needs, including facilities such as electric hoists and a specially adapted en-suite bathroom for Josh’s bedroom.

Shorland House, Dawlish:
A partnership project with Cornerstone, Shorland House provided 8 two-bed flats in Dawlish on the site of the building formerly used as the Caretaker’s Lodge for Dawlish Secondary Modern School. The development took 12 months of construction work and was named after the building’s first residents in its former life, the Shorland family. They originally occupied the lodge for some 35 years as Stan Shorland worked as the school’s caretaker before retiring in 1975.

Chudleigh:
This single three-bed home was provided in partnership with Westcountry Housing Association after the Council helped a struggling family via its Mortgage Rescue Scheme. Teignbridge negotiated with lenders to halt further action being taken against a family which had fallen behind on its mortgage, before referring them to Westcountry Housing Association. The housing association arranged an offer to buy the property from the family and now rent it back to them, making life more affordable and saving the family from homelessness.

Queensway, Newton Abbot:
This development of two specially adapted homes for families with disabled members was undertaken by Teign Housing and Teignbridge Council after the council agreed to sell the land to the housing association for just £1. The properties have been constructed to the Government “Lifetime Homes” standard.

(from a press release)

(image: Cllr Ray Frost, Teignbridge Exectuive Member for Housing Services, at Whitelake Place, Newton Abbot)