A turf-cutting ceremony marked the start of construction on Stoney Meadow, a new Stonewater development of affordable homes in North Mundham, near Chichester.
Pictured above from left to right are Marie Riordan, Stonewater Regional Development Manager; Denia Turnbull, Chairman of North Mundham Parish Council; Carol Purnell, Chichester District Council Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment Services; Peter Smith, Rund Partnership Senior Surveyor; Michael Neale, Hamlet Homes Project Manager.
Leading social housing provider Stonewater is working with local developers Hamlet Homes and Chichester District Council on this scheme which will provide 25 much-needed affordable homes for rent and shared ownership in the village.
Located just off School Lane, opposite the village hall and North Mundham Primary School, Stonewater’s smart new housing community will offer a choice of one two and three bedroom houses, bungalows and apartments for a mixture of affordable rent and low-cost shared ownership.
The construction of the homes will combine the use of traditional methods with a sympathetic village design. Each of the new properties will have private gardens and designated parking. The development, which is three miles away from Chichester town centre, will include two central public open spaces and a public art feature.
The much-needed affordable housing development comes at a time when the average cost of a home in Chichester, at £410,771*, is 15 times the average local salary, while private sector rents are almost half (43%) of local workers’ take home pay.
“High private rents and unaffordable house prices in the Chichester area are forcing young people and their families out of the local community and further away from where they live and work,” commented Marie Riordan, Stonewater’s Regional Development Manager. “These new homes at Stoney Meadow address a real need in the village for genuinely affordable homes which are vital to sustaining local shops, businesses and services.”
Stonewater has financed the scheme which has received a contribution of £595,000 funding from the Homes and Communities Agency. The development is due for completion in March 2018.
Carol Purnell, Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment Services at Chichester District Council, said: “I am very pleased that work is starting on this site. There is a huge demand for genuinely affordable housing across our district and so this development will be vital in helping people to stay in their community.”
Denia Turnbull, Chairman of North Mundham Parish Council, added: “This is a significant development in our village. However, we look forward to welcoming the new residents who we hope will integrate and participate fully in our vibrant community.”
*Home Truths 2016/17 — National Housing Federation: the average house cost being 15 times greater than the average wage.
