Community leaders have been given a close-up look at a new housing development that will provide affordable homes in a popular South Staffordshire village where local people would otherwise be priced out of the market.
The three terraced homes in Lime Tree Road, Bilbrook, are being built by Housing Plus Group to meet local housing needs and are now taking shape ahead of their planned completion later this year.
Housing Plus Group was awarded £300,000 in funding for the project from South Staffordshire Council and has the backing of Bilbrook Parish Council. It is one of a series of small-scale projects currently underway as part of Housing Plus Group’s ambitious plans to build new homes for rent, shared ownership and outright sale in Staffordshire and Shropshire.
The new two-bedroom homes in Bilbrook have been carefully designed to complement the area. Representatives from Housing Plus Group joined local councils for a recent site visit.
Lesley Birch, Development Manager at Housing Plus Group, explained: “It is fantastic to see these high-quality, energy-efficient homes taking shape, and we are looking forward to being able to offer them for social rent to people who have a local connection to the parish of Bilbrook.
“As the new homes replace old garages on the site, they will significantly improve the appearance of the area.
“As always, it’s a pleasure to work in partnership with South Staffordshire Council and Bilbrook Parish Council for the benefit of local people.”
The site visit itself offered an insight into excellent progress being made by Housing Plus Group’s construction partner on the project, Harper Group, following the demolition of old garages last year.
Among those taking part was Cllr Terry Mason, Cabinet Member for Planning and Business Enterprise at South Staffordshire Council, who said: “Delivering much needed affordable housing across South Staffordshire is a priority for this Council and we’re pleased to be supporting and part funding another quality development, in partnership with Housing Plus Group, for local people in Bilbrook.”
Cllr Sue Adams, Chair of Bilbrook Parish Council, commented: “It’s fantastic to see these developments taking shape and to support Housing Plus Group in providing quality homes for our residents.
“There is a real need for affordable housing in the Bilbrook area and it’s important that we continue to make sure there is quality housing for people at every stage of their lives.
“It is also important to build on brownfield sites like this one, rather than encroaching on green belt and I hope that similar use can be made of other such sites.”
Following the event, Ross Taylor, Project Manager, from the Harper Group added: “As part of our commitment to the community and sustainable construction, we have procured 85% of our supply chain from the local area, to support the development of the three affordable homes.
“In addition, we are committed to meeting our zero emissions target by 2050 and we are working closely with the project team to enhance the development’s environment for future use. We will be installing bird and bat boxes and reconfiguring the existing boundaries of the site, to retain habitats, allowing biodiversity and existing wildlife to thrive.”
The Lime Tree Road project is one of three small-scale developments in South Staffordshire by Housing Plus Group that are nearing completion. A further 10 new homes (five for shared ownership and five for rent) are being built on a rural exception site in Shop Lane, Oaken, while a purpose-built bungalow with special adaptations for a disabled resident is under construction in Kinver.
Header image shows from left to right: Development officer at Housing Plus Group Joshua Goodwins, Cllr Sue Adams, Vice-Chairman of Bilbrook Parish Council Cllr Gary Burnett, Ross Taylor and Matt Meredith from Harper Group, Development Manager for Housing Plus Group Lesley Birch, Assistant Director for Enterprise & Growth at South Staffordshire Council Grant Mitchell and Cllr Terry Mason.
