Hexham MP Joe Morris has commended progress made on the delivery of 63 new affordable homes in Bellingham.
The MP met with the developers of the scheme Karbon Homes and the construction partners Esh Construction to see the rural homes taking shape, viewing units at varying stages of construction.
The homes are part of Karbon’s commitment to delivering more new affordable homes in rural communities across the North East and Yorkshire, prioritising local residents to ensure the homes meet local need.
Joe Morris MP said: “I welcome this important development in Bellingham, which will provide much-needed affordable housing and help tackle the current housing crisis in our constituency.
“It was particularly encouraging to hear that priority is being given to local residents, ensuring people from Bellingham and the surrounding parishes have the opportunity to remain in the place they call home.
“Thank you to Karbon for having me on site to raise local concerns with them directly, I will always ensure that those developing here do so with the needs of local residents in mind.”
The Pennine Meadows development consists of a mix of bungalows, family homes and apartments. 21 will be available for affordable rent homes, with 22 for affordable home ownership schemes, Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy.
The site will also include a block of 20 care-ready supported housing apartments for over 55s.
Paul Fiddaman, Chief Executive for the Karbon Group, said: “It was great to welcome Joe to the development for a first look at how these much-needed new homes are progressing. With the Labour Government’s target to deliver 1.5 million affordable homes during its terms, we’re pleased to have Joe’s support of our ambitions for housing development in the county.
“We’ve had lots of positive feedback from local residents on how the new homes are looking. From first-time buyers to those looking to downsize, we’re confident this development will meet the needs of local people and provide affordable options.”
The homes will be built to high energy standards, with air source heat pumps, solar panels and EV charging points on all homes.
The houses on the former auction mart site in the heart of the village will be built with timber frames, embracing modern methods of construction. The facades have been designed to complement the look and feel of surrounding houses.
Mark Binns, Operations Director at Esh Group, commented: “Welcoming Joe Morris MP to Pennine Meadows was a great opportunity to showcase the progress being made on this important development.
“Esh is proud to be delivering high-quality, sustainable homes that will provide real benefits to the community, helping to meet local housing needs both now and in the future. Projects like this are vital in ensuring that rural communities have access to affordable, modern homes which allow people to stay, work and thrive in the places they call home.”
The development is part-funded through Karbon’s strategic partnership with Homes England, to develop 2,324 much-needed affordable homes across the North East and Yorkshire.
Within the partnership, Karbon has pledged to develop at least 10% of the funded homes in rural communities and the care-ready apartments also contribute towards an additional commitment to deliver new homes for people requiring additional support needs.
The development has also secured a grant from the North of Tyne Combined Authority via the Government’s Brownfield Housing Fund, which supports the development of brownfield sites across the region.
Header image from left to right: Mark Binns Operations Director at Esh Construction, Joe Morris MP, Simon Burns Site Manager at Esh Construction, Paul Fiddaman Chief Executive at Karbon Homes, Steven Johnson Assistant Site Manager at Esh Construction and Sara Armstrong, Project Manager at Karbon Homes.
