Member Article

Work begins on new £4.2m Wallsend homes development

Work has started on a £4.2m development of new and affordable homes in the centre of Wallsend.

The scheme will create an extra 41 properties in the heart of the town, on the site of the former Wallsend Police Station and Alexandra Street Family Centre on High Street East.

The homes will include 12 two-bedroom houses, 13 three-bedroom houses, 12 two-bedroom apartments and four one-bedroom apartments, complete with landscaping and parking. Once complete, the properties will be available for rent through North Tyneside Homes.

The work is part of North Tyneside Council’s ten-year drive to create 3,000 extra, affordable homes across the borough and will also contribute to its ongoing regeneration of Wallsend town centre.

Norma Redfearn, elected mayor, said: “This is a milestone project for affordable housing and the regeneration of Wallsend, and we’ve worked closely with the local community to plan this development.”

Councillor John Harrison, Cabinet member with responsibility for Housing, said: “As demand for housing continues to rise in North Tyneside and many of our residents struggle to secure suitable homes, we are determined to do all we can - by working with our partners and in innovative ways - to create the homes that local people need and want.”

Kier North Tyneside are working with North Tyneside Council to deliver the project, which is expected to be ready by spring 2016.

Kier Operations Director, Jon Rukin, commented: “We are proud to be working with North Tyneside on this exciting development; it offers an excellent opportunity to use our expertise from across Kier’s divisions to deliver much-needed new affordable homes in the Wallsend district.

“We have worked closely with the council to develop high quality, thermally efficient designs, which recreate the traditional terraces of Wallsend and will provide secure and economical places to live for residents. We are also looking forward to delivering further projects within the borough as part of the council’s long-term housing programme.”

North Tyneside Council and its partners are working to create around 3,000 new and affordable homes over the next ten years to meet the high and rising demand for affordable and decent homes in North Tyneside, including for families, elderly and vulnerable residents, first-time buyers and for those on low incomes.

There are at least 5,000 individuals or families currently on North Tyneside Council’s housing waiting list, and the authority predicts that it will need to create around 500 new homes each year to keep up with increasing demands.

North Tyneside Council’s drive to create more affordable homes will focus on providing the types of homes that are most in demand, particularly one-bed properties, bungalows and family homes; the work will particularly support those who haven’t got the means to buy or rent a home on the open market.

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