Member Article

Persimmon Homes welcomes Eric Pickles MP to Royston development

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles MP, heard first-hand how the government-backed Help to Buy scheme is benefiting house buyers in Barnsley.

Mr Pickles visited the Persimmon Homes Scholars Gate development in Royston on Thursday (23rd October), where he met Persimmon Help to Buy customers, including Glyn Allen and Paula Beaumont, who used the scheme to move to a larger property.

The couple wanted to re-locate to the Barnsley area to be closer to family and had initially viewed a number of three bedroom second-hand properties before Glyn’s sister told him about Persimmon Homes’ Scholars Gate development.

Glyn said: “We instantly liked the homes at Scholars Gate and this was where learned about Help to Buy. The scheme made the upgrade to a larger four bedroom property affordable for us, which we would have previously dismissed.

“We have been in our new home since September and as I work from home the spacious interior enables me to have an office without it encroaching on your living space. We couldn’t be happier.”

As part of the visit Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire’s managing director, Wayne Gradwell, hosted a tour of the 143 plot development, giving Mr Pickles a thorough understanding of the construction process at Persimmon.

Mr Gradwell said: “We were delighted to welcome Mr Pickles to Scholars Gate and to introduce him to some of our customers who have benefited from the Help to Buy scheme.

“The scheme has not only helped buyers, but has also boosted the industry with the creation of hundreds of jobs, not only on construction sites but throughout the supply chain.”

Eric Pickles MP, said: “I was delighted to see the fantastic work at Scholars Gate, and meet Glyn and Paula who are now in their new home thanks to Help to Buy scheme.

“I’m particularly pleased that since its launch, the Help to Buy scheme has created 373 new homeowners in Barnsley alone – and nearly 53,000 new homeowners across the country.

“And as sites like Scholars Gate demonstrate, the scheme is both helping people onto the property ladder as well as getting Britain building, with developers like Persimmon building more as a direct result of it.”

Under the Help to Buy scheme, customers need just a five per cent deposit to secure a 75 per cent mortgage while the Government supplies up to 20 per cent of the purchase price in the form of an equity loan, which is interest free and repayment free for the first five years.

Scholars Gate is a development of three and four bedroom semi-detached, detached and terraced homes in the village of Royston offering a vibrant new community just six miles north of Barnsley. With easy access to larger towns and cities and close to a number of schools the development is ideal for commuters and families alike.

Using the Help to Buy scheme houses at Scholars Gate are currently available with a deposit of £6,400.

For more information on the Persimmon Homes developments close to you visit www.persimmonhomes.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Amandeep Garcha .