Work is underway on a £24 million scheme to provide 100 affordable and eco-friendly homes for local people in a North Yorkshire village.
Broadacres Housing Association, working in partnership with Keepmoat and Homes England, has broken ground on the scheme in Harkness Close, off Bedale Road, in Leeming Bar.
The development will include a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes, with 70 available for social rent and 30 through shared ownership. The shared ownership homes will help local people get a foot on the property ladder without needing to secure large mortgages.
All the homes will be heated by renewable energy air-source heat pumps and will include other energy-saving features such as triple glazed windows and enhanced levels of insulation to make them net zero ready. Each home will also include a charging point for an electric or hybrid vehicle.
The development represents an investment of £24 million, including a grant of £7.5 million from Homes England, and complements a very similar 88-home scheme, The Hatchery in Aiskew, which is now close to final completion.
The affordable homes will be allocated on a local connection basis.
Claire Townson, Chief Executive of Broadacres, said,
“We are delighted to once again be working in partnership with Keepmoat and Homes England to provide these much-needed affordable homes.
“Alongside a similar scheme in Aiskew, it will mean when the homes are complete, we have delivered almost 200 homes for people in a one-mile radius in just a few years.
“We are committed to ensuring our rural communities remain sustainable for current and future generations and the new homes won’t be just affordable, but highly efficient and net zero ready.”
Ian Worgan, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat North East, added,
“We’re proud to be working in partnership with Broadacres to deliver 100 high-quality homes.
“At Keepmoat, we are committed to creating sustainable communities. The homes being delivered in Leeming Bar include air-source heat pumps, enhanced insulation and electric vehicle charging points as standard, helping residents to reduce both energy use and their carbon footprint.”
A spokesperson for Homes England said,
“As the Governments’s housing and regeneration agency, increasing the supply of quality affordable homes remains one of our key objectives and we are committed to supporting ambitious house builders of all sizes to build these homes and communities.
“This investment through the Affordable Homes Programme allows our partners and registered providers to do just that and it has enabled Broadacres to build 100 much-needed new homes the people of Leeming Bar can be proud of.”
Funding from Broadacres is helping a Knaresborough charity provide creative and horticultural opportunities for people with disabilities.
A Northallerton Scouts group is ready for new adventures after receiving £500 from Broadacres, helping fund new equipment and support more young people to get involved in outdoor activities.