Work has begun on a project which will create 25 affordable homes for older people – including three accessible to wheelchair users – in the north of Hartlepool.
Galliford Try Partnerships North (GTPN) is developing the properties on the site of the former Henry Smith School in King Oswy Drive, on behalf of Housing Hartlepool.
Stephen McCoy, Managing Director with GTPN and Colin Wilson, Director of Development at the Vela Group, which owns Housing Hartlepool, laid the first bricks at the site, which will provide 20 rented bungalows and five for shared ownership.
The homes, being built with grant support from the Homes and Communities Agency, will all reach level three in the government’s Code for Sustainable Homes, meet the Lifetime Homes standards and achieve Secure by Design certification. They are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The contract is part of a wider redevelopment of the 9.25 acre site which could include around 90 further homes for sale on the open market. Henry Smith School closed in 2001 and was demolished three years later. It was replaced by the nearby St Hild’s Church of England School.
Colin Wilson said: “It is great to see work underway on these much needed homes. Our new build programme is one of the most ambitious of any housing association in the North East as we plan to complete over 600 new properties over the next 18 months. In our drive to tackle the ever increasing demand for affordable homes we have already constructed 820 properties since 2008.
“The houses we build are of the highest specification and incorporate energy saving features such as solar panels, which provide hot water and generate electricity. We are very proud of the homes we build; it’s not just stacking bricks, it’s building communities.”
Stephen McCoy added: “This is an exciting project for us. Partnerships like this can play a pivotal role in transforming local communities and we are confident that the new development at King Oswy Drive will breathe fresh life into this area of Hartlepool, providing much needed affordable housing. We were delighted to have been selected to bring our expertise to this project.”
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For further information, contact Lauren Pyrah at Recognition Public Relations on 01325 363436.
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