A partnership between Two Castles Housing Association and Esh Group has delivered a much-needed affordable homes development for local people in Cumwhinton Village near Carlisle.
The £1.2 million development called Quentin Gardens is the first to be completed by the partnership working as Hadrian Development Solutions and provides eight new affordable homes to rent for people with a connection to the village or surrounding area.
Part funded by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) with support from Carlisle City Council and Cumbria County Council, the development includes four two-bedroom bungalows and four three-bedroom houses. Built using a range of energy-efficient features to the Code for Level Three Sustainable Standards, each property has also been installed with photovoltaic panels to help further reduce overall energy bills for tenants.
Rob Brittain, property services director at Two Castles Housing Association, said: “Two Castles is committed to delivering high quality, affordable housing in communities across Cumbria, where there is currently a real demand. We’re delighted to have worked with our partners on this scheme, which has delivered a fantastic range of quality energy-efficient homes that will really benefit local families in the greatest housing need.”
Situated on Peter Road in Cumwhinton, Quentin Gardens is the first development to be finished on-site by the Hadrian Development Solutions partnership which will deliver 250 affordable homes to communities across the North of England over the next four years.
Rob added: “The completion of this scheme at Cumwhinton also marks the first development to be finished on-site working as this innovative partnership between Two Castles and the Esh Group. Working in partnership like this has been fantastic for Two Castles as it has resulted in the successful acquisition of funding to continue to deliver more affordable homes for more communities in the future.”
David Halfacre, Chairman of Esh Property Services, said: “These much needed homes are a testimony to the hard work by all in the partnership who have worked on this project - from the designer to the decorator. We wish the new residents well as they look forward to Christmas in their new homes.”
Cllr Jessica Riddle, Portfolio holder for Culture, Health, Leisure & Young People, said: “We are delighted that effective partnership working has resulted in the delivery of eight new homes for Cumwhinton. This development will provide much-needed affordable homes for local people, and we look forward to continuing to work with our partners to bring forward more affordable housing in order to support our local communities and deliver on the district’s housing strategy.”
For more information about Two Castles and the services it provides, visit www.twocastles.org.uk or contact its Carlisle office on 01228 547463.