Oswestry community celebrates new approach to local housing
Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council, has officially opened a development of 18 new homes at Wingate Way, Park Hall, Oswestry.
The homes are the second development to be completed by Shropshire Housing Group under its Marches Community Land Trust Services offer, and have been delivered in conjunction with a Community Project Board comprised of local residents and other key stakeholders.
The homes will be managed by Meres and Moses Housing Association, part of Shropshire Housing Group, and whilst the majority have been made available to local residents on a rental basis, four have been designated for purchase on the Help To Buy shared ownership scheme.
The Community Land Trust which Park Hall has been developed in conjunction with, is comprised of a mix of local residents and the parish councillors who have worked closely with Shropshire Housing Group to not only agree the details of the letting plan, but also to have a say on everything from the design of the homes and the materials used, through to features to make the homes sustainable. Indeed, each of the properties feature photovoltaic panels and some land has been fenced off to form a conservation area.
This collaborative model of development has, along with a number of other schemes across the region, been supported by a £1.3m grant from the Homes and Community Agency, and as part of the opening ceremony Keith Barrow from Shropshire Council presented Greg Hickman, Chair of Whittington Parish Council with a cheque for £54,000 from the New Homes Bonus scheme, this represents £3,000 per home.
Mr Hickman said: “We are delighted with the development and plan to spend some of the money on changing street lighting in the parish over to LED lighting.”
Jake Berriman, Chief Executive of Shropshire Housing Group, added: “It is really important that people living in rural areas have the opportunity to live and work in the area within which they grew up or have family connections. The reality, however, has all too often been that cost makes this impossible.
“This is where the Community Land Trust model really comes in to its own as the land is held in a non-profit trust enabling rents and sale values to be set with affordability in mind, rather than what the open market dictates.
“It is fantastic to already see people enjoying their new homes here at Park Hall and we hope the whole community will benefit from this new development.”
As part of the opening event, residents were invited to attend a buffet lunch at the Cabin Lane Church where they were encouraged to contribute ideas for the longer-term development of the conservation area that has been set aside alongside the homes.
