Member Article

Old industrial units make way for affordable homes

Old industrial units are being replaced with modern, affordable homes in a £5.5 million redevelopment project in North Tyneside.

The Silverbirch development – to be constructed by Galliford Try Partnerships North East for Riverside Housing Group – will see 36 two and three bedroomed homes and four two bedroomed bungalows replace disused units at Camperdown Industrial Estate, on the edge of Killingworth village.

Demolition of the old buildings and site preparations have been completed, paving the way for construction of the new homes which was begun by Julie Gray, Assistant Development Director with Riverside; Norma Redfearn, elected Mayor of North Tyneside; Sara Holmes, Development Director with Galliford Try Partnerships North East and Martin Wilks, Senior Specialist in the North East with the Homes and Communities Agency. The development is expected to be completed by May next year (2018).

The new homes will be made available as shared ownership properties, allowing customers who may feel priced out of the housing market to buy a percentage stake in a property of between 25% and 75%, whilst paying rent on the remainder.

Made possible through a £1m grant from the Homes and Communities Agency, this scheme also has the support of North Tyneside Council and offers a step onto the housing ladder for those who may not have access to a large deposit or be able to secure a mortgage for the whole value of a new home.

Riverside’s Julie Gray said: “This is a particularly exciting development for us, as it will give home buyers a helping hand onto the property ladder and into a great new home through a shared ownership option. As a result, we expect Silverbirch to be very popular. It is the latest selection of homes we have for sale in the North East and there are more in the pipeline.”

Sara Holmes, from Galliford Try Partnerships North East, added: “We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to work again with Riverside and North Tyneside Council, delivering a project that will improve the quality, choice and affordability of homes available to local people. Initiatives like this will form the foundations of the government’s programme to support the development of a million new homes by 2020.”

The development further boosts the council’s drive to deliver 3,000 new affordable homes in the borough over the next 10 years to meet housing need. Mayor, Norma Redfearn, said: “This is a vital development, which is going to breathe new life into a disused site and help us achieve our aspirations for affordable housing over the next decade. Local people deserve the opportunity to live in a modern, attractive home, at a price they can afford and I’m delighted to see our partners getting started on site.”

Rob Pearson, General Manager for the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber at the Homes and Communities Agency said: “These new homes, built on brownfield land, shows the Government’s commitment to increase housing supply and halt the decline in affordability. As well as using redundant industrial land, our funding is improving housing choice for people in North Tyneside by providing shared ownership homes, which allows people to take their first step on the housing ladder.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Dobbie .