THE first residents of new affordable homes in Wiltshire have received their keys in Westbury, signalling a significant milestone for the project.
A contract was signed in December 2011 which will see 242 homes built in West Wiltshire by summer 2014. This followed Wiltshire Council’s business case for investment through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) being given government approval.
The keys to the first eight homes completed were handed over to residents in Westbury on 2nd August. This is part of the first phase of work which will also see a mixture of houses, flats and bungalows built in Trowbridge, Warminster, Melksham and Hilperton. The new homes are being delivered by Aster Communities (formerly Sarsen Housing Association), working along-side Persimmon Homes and its sister company Westbury Partnerships.
This project is one of 13 the government signalled continued support for following its spending review in November 2010. It is the first of those schemes to see new-build homes handed over to residents.
John Thomson, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for housing said, “I am delighted we have reached this milestone and are now able to hand over keys to residents to these much-needed affordable homes.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work from us and our partners to get to this point. We have worked extremely well together and despite the tough economic times, these fantastic homes have been built on schedule.”
Mandy Walker, who has moved with her family into a new three-bedroom house in Leigh Park Way in Westbury said, “When we were offered the chance to move here, we were absolutely thrilled. We previously lived nearby in a two-bedroom property, but we did need more space. We were also very settled in Westbury and my partner’s parents live in the town as well, so we didn’t want to move away.
“We’re so pleased with our new home – there’s so much room. We’ve got our own garden, private parking and a really spacious living room. My daughter is currently studying catering and has fallen in love with the kitchen. It’s also very handy for my son, whose school is close by.”
Mischi Wilk, area manager at the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) said, “I’m pleased that these high-quality, affordable homes are now complete. Strong partnership working has seen the PFI scheme in Westbury reach this important milestone and I now look forward to seeing similar progress at the other sites across west Wiltshire.”
Julian Paine, Aster Communities regional director for Wiltshire said, “These homes will make a real difference to the lives of people living locally. They’ve been designed with flexibility in mind and can be adapted to meet the needs of whoever is living there. For example, each property contains extra space to make them suitable for wheelchair users. They’ve also been fitted with wider than normal doors, removable walls, and reinforced joists, so they could accommodate someone with the most complex needs.
“We had some excellent feedback from customers when we showed them around their new homes recently and we’re very pleased to see the first families now moving in.”
Steve Roche, managing director, Westbury Partnerships Wessex said, “Creating new communities is at the heart of our business, and we pride ourselves on building homes to an excellent standard and delivering projects on time. This initiative was spearheaded by Westbury Partnerships, so it is particularly pleasing to see the first residents move in.”
