Coastline Housing welcomed Minister for Housing and Planning, Gavin Barwell MP, to a landmark development project of 90 new homes at Heartlands in Pool, Cornwall.
Pictured at the Heartlands site, from left to right: Matt Ward, Louise Beard, Allister Young and Chris Weston from Coastline Housing, with Gavin Barwell MP and Phil Mason and Joyce Duffin of Cornwall Council.
The homes are being built thanks to funding of £3.2m from Cornwall Council and the Homes and Communities Agency. The Minister for Housing and Planning saw for himself the first 20 homes being built nationally for the Government’s new Rent to Buy scheme. In addition, 54 homes will be built for affordable rent and 16 homes offered under a part-buy, part-rent scheme on the site.
Under the new Rent to Buy scheme, the Government offers low cost loans to landlords to build homes to be let at sub-market rent for a minimum of seven years to households who have never owned a home before. The tenants can then use this fixed period of support to achieve their aspiration of home ownership, either by buying the home they are renting or another one.
Housing Minister, Gavin Barwell, says: “This Government is determined to deliver the homes this country desperately needs. It was great to see what Coastline Housing and Carillion igloo are doing at Heartlands with support from our Homes and Communities Agency delivering a mix of housing to meet the needs of the people of Cornwall”.
Allister Young, CEO at Coastline Housing, comments: “We were delighted to host this visit and are proud to demonstrate the excellent innovative partnership working that goes on in Cornwall.”
Joyce Duffin, Cornwall Council cabinet member for housing and environment, adds: “This was a great opportunity for the Minister to see how we are addressing the significant demand for local needs housing in the immediate area. Cornwall Council remains committed to delivering affordable homes for local people and this new development from our partners, Coastline Housing, will go some way towards meeting this need.”
The homes, due to be completed in Autumn 2017, are being built by Kier Living and are a mixture of flats and houses, ranging between one and three bedrooms. Part of the development will include a purpose-built older person’s scheme.
Coastline is also working closely with developer Carillion igloo on site. Carillion igloo will be delivering 56 homes in the UK’s first Custom Build project backed by the Homes and Communities Agency at Heartlands.
Jon Sawyer, of Carillion igloo, says: “We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Coastline to deliver new homes across a range of tenures, including giving Custom Build buyers the opportunity to create their dream home.”
