Construction work has begun on an award-winning sustainable housing scheme which will bring 76 new eco-homes to the vibrant, Ouseburn valley in Newcastle, on land owned by the Homes and Communities Agency and Newcastle City Council.
The leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes, looked on as the transformation of the former Ice Factory and Heaney's Coachworks site on the banks of the Ouseburn got underway.
The £14m Malings project – named after Malings Pottery which operated on the site during the 1800s – will see developer Carillion-igloo deliver on its promise to bring low-energy, high-quality and neighbourhood-focused housing to the Lower Ouseburn Valley.
The design by architects Cany Ash and Robert Sakula has received national recognition, having been named winner in the Housing Design Awards 2013.
David Roberts, igloo Project Director, said: “The Ouseburn Valley is just such a fantastic location and a place that we have come to love since preparing our initial schemes here in 2006. The time is now right to pioneer high-quality housing in the Valley with an outstanding example of 21st century living – low-energy, high-quality, neighbourhood-focused healthy living.”
Anne Mulroy, Head of Area at the Homes and Communities Agency said: “It is terrific to see how our partners are transforming this site and creating a new community which will offer so much to the residents. These first homes will provide something that is not only very high quality but as importantly different from any of the existing housing developments locally. The rebirth of the valley as a modern mixed use community is great news for the whole city of Newcastle.”
Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “This is the first site being delivered as part of our key partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency and Carillion Igloo which will invest £50m in creating hundreds of new homes and new space for businesses and visitors to the Lower Ouseburn and East Quayside area.
"The partnership is focused on improving the range and quality of homes in the city and prioritising the development of former brownfield sites which is central to the ambition in our local plan of matching the housing needs and aspirations of a growing population.”
The Malings scheme will deliver a mix of 76 individual homes, which will include three-storey four-bedroom townhouses, two-storey maisonettes, one-bedroom apartments and distinctive four-storey detached 'tower houses', along with small commercial spaces along the river frontage and more than 150 secure bicycle storage spaces.
All of the homes will be larger than average, but the prices will be reasonable – likely to range between £115,000 and £250,000 – with access to mortgage assistance through the Government's Help to Buy scheme.
The sale of homes will begin in January with occupiers moving in during late summer 2014.
The Malings project is designed not only to build new homes, but also to build neighbourhoods with today also marking the launch of Carillion-igloo’s ambitious arts integration programme for the Ouseburn. The company has appointed Helix Arts, run by local Byker resident Toby Lowe, to provide opportunities for the new residents of The Malings to engage with the existing creative community of Ouseburn.
This programme of activity will continue until summer 2015 and the aim is to not only capture the imagination of artists in Ouseburn and purchasers of the new homes, but also create opportunities for interaction between creative people operating in Ouseburn and The Malings development.
