New community celebrates in Church Stretton
The new community at Ashbrook in Church Stretton came out to celebrate when South Shropshire Housing Association officially launched phase two of the scheme.
In addition to the ceremonial ribbon cutting, there was a village fete atmosphere with face painting for the children, games and stalls as well as a buffet for all residents.
Ashbrook has been highly praised for its community led approach. An initiative pioneered by South Shropshire Housing Association, it sees a committee of local people and councillors established at the very earliest stages of the development. They then make decisions at a local level regarding the development and the specification of the homes including everything from the bricks used to the colour of the paint and landscaping
Maria Howell, Housing Enabling Officer at Shropshire Council said: “This is a fantastic scheme and the Council is delighted to have supported it with a grant. It is an excellent example of how great communication and a collaborative approach between local residents and a housing association can deliver a visually appealing and sustainable development with a real sense of community.”
Ann Stafford who was a member of the committee said: “I am really pleased with how the new homes sit in this landscape. The building materials chosen are lovely and great quality. These spacious homes are a credit to the area and I know many residents are delighted.”
Ann Sutcliffe from South Shropshire Housing Association said: “What’s special about Ashbrook isn’t just its location or the homes that have been built, it’s the people and that really came across at the community day. We have a really wide spectrum of ages living here from small children to pensioners, it feels like a genuine community.”
Angela South who lives in one of the bungalows at Ashbrook said: “I absolutely love the development. Not only are you surrounded by the hills but there is also a real sense of community amongst the neighbours. “I used to rent another property owned by the housing association but moving here has enabled me to downsize, stay close to friends and family and benefit from a new modern home, I couldn’t be happier.”
Ashbrook two comprises a number of two and three bedroom homes including a number built for shared ownership. Potential residents must have a local connection to Church Stretton to be eligible and if they meet the criteria, they can then purchase a 25-75% share in the property.
The first shared ownership resident Sarah Stridgen and her family did just that she said: “We were renting in Much Wenlock but my husband was working in Church Stretton and one of our children was at school here too. We were the first people to move into a shared ownership home at Ashbrook and we couldn’t be happier. Shared ownership and the ability to own a greater percentage of the home as time goes by is brilliant, without it we wouldn’t have been able to buy in this area.”
