Residents have been singing the praises of their new homes at The Chess in South Oxhey — the first development to be delivered by Three Rivers Homes, the joint venture between Watford Community Housing and Three Rivers District Council.
Representatives from Three Rivers Homes and contractor Bugler Developments were recently joined by some of the new residents for the formal opening of the development on Heysham Drive, which comprises 33 new homes in total, including much-needed affordable housing.
Photo credit: Simon Jacobs
Azari Henry, one of the new occupants, was amongst those who attended the celebration. Azari said: “The flat is lovely! The storage space is amazing and I really like the décor in terms of the colour of the carpet and the walls — everything just looks really new and fresh. The area on the outside is nice too with lots of plants around the car park, so it’s really welcoming.
“I used to live in Northolt in a three-bedroom house, but I wanted to downsize as I was having my first child, so I wanted to be in a new-build and to change location to somewhere a bit quieter. As soon as my husband and I saw this flat we thought ‘we want to live here!’ It’s so refreshing, it’s so nice and the size is perfect for us. I wanted something cosy and it’s so homely.”
Through Three Rivers Homes, Watford Community Housing and Three Rivers District Council are working together to deliver affordable housing in the area. The Chess is the first development to be built as a result of this innovative partnership and it includes homes across a mix of tenures, providing a range of housing options to meet the needs of local people. It is made up of eight one-bedroom and 25 two-bedroom properties, with 18 of the new homes for market rent, 10 for social rent and five for shared ownership.
Tina Barnard, Watford Community Housing’s Chief Executive and Chair of Three Rivers Homes, commented: “We are thrilled to have completed our first Three Rivers Homes development. Watford Community Housing is committed to working closely with Three Rivers District Council to deliver desperately needed homes that give local people a chance to live in a high-quality home at a price they can afford. The Chess is a great example of this and we hope the new residents will be very happy in their new homes.”
Sara Bedford, Leader of Three Rivers District Council, said: “I was delighted to attend the official opening of these new homes and to meet some of the new residents. I am proud that by working together we have been able to provide much-needed new homes of different tenures in South Oxhey.”
Three Rivers Homes is proud to have worked with Rickmansworth-based Bugler Developments in order to ensure that the project boosts employment in the local area, including taking on a local resident as a Trainee Site Manager for the project.
Commenting on the completion of The Chess, Andy Bugler, CEO of Bugler Group, added: “We are delighted to complete our first project working in partnership with both Three Rivers Homes and Watford Community Housing. To have the opportunity to build much-needed affordable housing in our area and make a significant contribution to our local community is both an absolute pleasure and very important to us as a business. We look forward to completing many more such well-designed developments within Three Rivers in the coming years.”
Header image shows Tina Barnard, Chair of Three Rivers Homes, and Sara Bedford, Leader of Three Rivers District Council joined by guests and residents for the formal opening of The Chess. Photo credit: Simon Jacobs.
