Local residents have chosen the name Martineau Road for a new development built in Birmingham by housing association Midland Heart and Westleigh Partnerships Homes.
A group of pupils from Tile Cross Academy, Shard End, surveyed residents to choose the most popular name and were at the site off Sheldon Hall Avenue to help unveil the street sign.
Local people chose Martineau Road for its historical links to the site which was previously home to the Lower School of Sir Wilfred Martineau School, named after the well-known Birmingham family. Their final choice was also endorsed by the Tile Cross Residents Association.
Pictured above are: School pupils from Tile Cross Academy, Shard End, who helped name a street on a new housing development with Joe Reeves, left, Executive Director of Growth and Corporate Affairs, Midland Heart and Gino Siani, Head of New Business for the West Midlands, Westleigh Partnerships Homes.
The £8.2m development brings 64 high-quality two-, three- and four-bedroom properties for affordable rent and purchase through shared ownership. The first residents are expected to move in by the end of this year.
Joe Reeves, Executive Director of Growth and Corporate Affairs for Midland Heart said: “This scheme is great news for the Shard End area of Birmingham as it not only regenerates a disused site, it helps to meet the needs of the area’s ever-growing population by providing much-needed, affordable homes.
“This development is an important part of Midland Heart’s commitment to building more than 2,500 homes over the next five years.”
Gino Siani, Westleigh Partnerships’ Head of New Business for the West Midlands said: “We are pleased to be playing our part in delivering these affordable homes for the benefit of the community in Shard End, which will go some way towards addressing the shortage of affordable properties in the local area.
“We would like to thank our partners at both Midland Heart and the City Council for helping us to make the scheme a success and special thanks goes to the students at Tile Cross Academy for their assistance in finding a name for Martineau Road.”
The site was cleared early in 2017 to make way for the development which is funded by a £1.86m grant from the Homes and Communities Agency and Midland Heart, one of the largest housing associations in the region.
Chris Etheridge, Headteacher of Tile Cross Academy commented: “I am really pleased that the heritage of the school is being reflected in the new development. I am also very proud that our pupils were able to work with local residents to help choose what the new road should be called.”
