Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing appoints contractor for new build programme

News from our partners Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing

Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing has appointed Speller Metcalfe to build 68 properties across north and south Shropshire as part of its Affordable Housing Programme.

Speller Metcalfe was chosen out of three contractors following an extensive procurement process.  When complete, the affordable housing development will consist of 68 new homes, offering a mix of two and three bedroom houses for rent, and low cost home ownership in and around the Oswestry and Bridgnorth areas.

The Affordable Housing Programme, led by Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing on behalf of Shropshire Council, has been made possible through funding from the Homes and Community Agency, Section 106 and the council’s Housing Revenue Account.  Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing took over the management of the council’s housing stock in April 2013. 

Mal Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for housing, said:

“The aim of our Affordable Housing Programme is to provide good quality, affordable housing to meet the current and future needs of communities.

“This is an exciting project, and we are delighted to have Speller Metcalfe on board as our contractor.  This appointment marks an important step in providing affordable homes for people in Shropshire.”

Nicki Barker, Chair of Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing Board, added:

“Everyone who works or lives in our communities need a place to live, so that they can be stable, productive employees and community members.  If we want our communities to flourish and be healthy places to live, we need to create the housing necessary for all households.

“The Affordable Housing Programme has allowed us to build much-needed homes in Shropshire, and has given Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing an opportunity to be able to meet the needs of our communities.”

Matt Brown, Living Division Director at Speller Metcalfe, commented:

“Speller Metcalfe Living is delighted to be a part of this Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing project, which will provide much needed accommodation for the local residents, as well as improving the appearance of the former garage sites.

“Each house is being built to a very high standard, which means the properties will be highly efficient, and help to reduce running costs for families during a time where budgets are already stretched.

“In particular, we are looking forward to working with the community and bringing them on board with the scheme, as well as helping to regenerate parts of the local area.”

Work on all sites will start in the New Year, 2014, and the development is scheduled to be completed in spring 2015.

For more information about Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing visit the website at www.starhousing.org.uk.  You can also follow us on Facebook by searching for “Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing” or on twitter @star_housing.

Further information

There will be 43 new properties for rent and 25 properties for low cost home ownership in and around the Oswestry and Bridgnorth areas.

The properties will comprise of 28 three bedroom homes and 40 two bedroom homes, and will be built across 15 different sites which include:

Oswestry area

• Swan Lane – 15 x 3 bedroomed houses and 4 x 2 bedroomed house (one of which will be a bungalow especially designed in conjunction with Transhouse for people with spinal cord injuries)
• The Willows, West Felton – 2 x 3 bedroomed houses and 1 x 2 bedroomed bungalow (these properties will be ‘Lifetime Homes’, whereby they are easily adaptable to the changing needs of the  resident)
• Gatacre Avenue, Oswestry – 4 x 2 bedroomed houses
• Sefton Place, Oswestry – 4 x 2 bedroomed houses
• Western Avenue, Whittington – 3 x 2 bedroomed houses
• Marshfields, Maesbury – 2 x 2 bedroomed houses
• Hammonds Place, Gobowen – 4 x 2 bedroomed houses
• Cottage Lane, St Martins – 2 x 2 bedroomed houses
• Gate Street, Oswestry – 2 x 2 bedroomed houses
• Fitzalan Close, Babbinswood – 2 x 3 bedroomed houses

Bridgnorth area

• Rhea Hall, Highley –  1 x 3 bedroomed house  and 9 x 2 bedroomed houses
• Wilkins Close, Highley – 1 x 2 bedroomed bungalow (replacing an existing, structurally damaged bungalow)
• Idsall Crescent, Shifnal – 2 x 2 bedroomed houses
• The Mall, Bridgnorth –  6 x 3 bedroom houses
• Woodberry Close Bridgnorth –  2 x 3 bedroom houses and 2 x 2 bedroom houses.