FIRST FAMILIES MOVE INTO NEW CITY AFFORDABLE HOMES AS PART OF GARAGE AND CAR PARK CONVERSION PROJECT

The first two homes have been handed over as part of a ground-breaking partnership which will see 32 new affordable homes created on former garage and car park sites across Norwich.

Norwich woman Hollie Shreeve was the first resident to receive her keys from Norwich City Council deputy leader and cabinet member for social housing Gail Harris, along with Kieran Bleasby from Orwell Housing Association and Paul Pitcher of contractor Wellington.

The two new homes have been built on a former car park on West Pottergate in the city, one of seven former garage and car parking sites which have been allocated for affordable housing by the City Council.  The other sites are on Armes Street (two sites), Cowgate, Bowers Avenue, Northumberland Street and Rye Avenue.

Ms Shreeve, who works as a duty manager at the Oaklands Hotel, have moved into her new home with three year-old son Luca.  Luca has special needs, and their former accommodation in a first floor flat elsewhere in the city was far from suitable.

“I am delighted with our new home,” she said.  “There is so much more space, including a lovely garden.  Luca loves being outside, it makes him much more comfortable.  Living in a flat was difficult; even things like getting shopping in was difficult when I had Luca with me.”

Cllr Harris commented, “It’s fantastic to see both sets of tenants settling into their new homes in West Pottergate.

“We’ve been especially pleased to be involved in a successful partnership with Orwell Housing and Wellington to provide these homes for affordable rent as part of our replacement homes programme.”

The development of the new homes is being overseen by Orwell Housing Association, a longstanding social housing provider which manages over 4,300 homes in East Anglia.  Senior development officer Kelly Biddle at Orwell said, “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Norwich City Council and Wellington Construction to provide new homes for rent in the city.

“This development represents the first of many more being built in partnership with Norwich City, and builds on our long standing commitment with them to deliver affordable housing.”

The new homes have been built by Lowestoft-based contractor Wellington, which has a long track record of delivering affordable homes for local authorities and housing associations in the region.  Managing director Paul Pitcher said, “We are delighted once again to be working with Orwell Housing, in partnership with Norwich City Council.

“It is always a pleasure to see families moving into the houses we build and making them homes.  We are very pleased to have reached this important first handover stage of the project, some three months ahead of schedule.”