First tenants move into Nuplace’s sustainable Future Homes Standard properties in Telford

Wild Walk is a mixed tenure development with a total of 329 new homes which are being bought forward by a partnership comprising of Telford & Wrekin Council, Nuplace, Lovell Partnerships Ltd and local housing association, Wrekin Housing Group.

Nuplace, the council’s wholly owned housing company, has taken sustainable housing to the next level at the development by introducing its first ever Future Homes Standard properties to further support residents with lower fuel bills.

Nuplace properties range from 1 to 4-bedroom houses, apartments, and bungalows.  Of the 66 properties 18 of these are being built to accessible and adaptable standards, and are available for people who are over the age of 55, or with a demonstrable need.

Residents can still reserve a Nuplace property at Wild Walk – details of available plots and rent prices can be found on Nuplace’s website.

All Nuplace properties at Wild Walk have been delivered to low carbon standards incorporating solar panels and electric car charging points as a part of its commitment to help tackle climate change.

In addition, the Future Homes Standard green homes at Wild Walk will produce 75-80% less carbon emissions than homes built under the current Building Regulations. The properties will feature new technology when it comes to heating, hot water systems and reducing heat waste.

After months of preparation Jamie and his family were among the first tenants to move into their Donnington homes today. He told us:

“This is our first time renting with Nuplace.  For us as a family knowing that the property is owned by the council has given us a huge sense of security. Our previous home was owned by a private landlord, and we were always so unsure about the future. We are a family of six and one of our children has additional needs so knowing we have a stable home, that we can call our own, is a huge relief and really exciting.

“At first, we weren’t looking for a Future Home Standard property, this is just a bonus for us!

“We are really looking forward to learning more about these features and seeing how they benefit us as a family.”

Councillor Richard Overton (lab) deputy leader and the cabinet member for homes and enforcement said: Housing is one of our key priorities in Telford and Wrekin as we set to protect, care and invest to create a better borough for all of our residents. This new development at Wild Walk is a key part of this and it’s great to see the range of properties available both from Nuplace and also our partners.

“With over 1,300 tenants now living in Nuplace properties right across the borough, we know they are providing fantastic long-term homes for our residents from a landlord they can trust.

“Seeing tenants arrive at their new homes today really brings to life the development and the vision of the partnership which was to create a development which offers something for all residents.”

To date Nuplace has 485 homes right across the borough, with a further 359 planned or at construction. 124 of the existing homes are affordable properties. The housing investment programme has also enabled the delivery of a further 399 affordable dwellings by housing association partners. 

Since 2015/16 Nuplace has generated a cumulative net incremental income of £9.7m to the council which is being used to help vital frontline services during ongoing challenging times.