FIRST RESIDENTS MOVE INTO NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES IN LAXFIELD

The first residents have moved into eight brand new affordable homes in Laxfield – with more set to be built in the proposed second phase of the development.

The new properties are part of a 12-home development off Mill Road in the village in a joint partnership between Orwell Housing and Suffolk-based developer Wellington, comprising eight affordable homes built specifically for local people and four open-market homes.

A proposed second phase will see a further 13 new homes built on the site, of which four will be shared-ownership affordable homes (subject to planning approval).

Orwell senior development officer Kelly Biddle and Wellington managing director Paul Pitcher were joined by local ward councillor Julie Flatman and former joint land owner Linda Wilson as they handed the keys to the first new homes to two local families.

Local couple Emma Payne and Karl Goodwin and their children Lucas (five) and Lily (four months) have moved to a three-bedroom house on the new development, having previously lived in a privately rented house. 

With Ms Payne on maternity leave from her job as a booking co-ordinator, the couple were struggling with both space and financial issues at their previous home, relying on a single income from Mr Goodwin’s job as a laminator at a firm in Framlingham.

“We have always lived in Laxfield, and my family is all here, but we have had to move around quite a bit renting privately,” said Ms Payne.  “It is really nice to have a home which is big enough for our growing family, which we can afford, and which we can settle in for the long term.

“This is our forever home, and because these new homes are for local people, it has enabled us to know we can live in our home village for the long term.”

Also receiving the keys to their new home were June Warne and her son Edwin, who have moved into a two bedroom bungalow on the development with their dog Treacle.

The pair were living in a large council home in the village, which has now been freed up to enable a larger family to live in.

“It is always nice to see people moving into the new homes we build – it reminds you that it’s not about bricks and mortar, but about people,” said Wellington managing director Paul Pitcher. 

“Whilst this development is a mixture of affordable homes and open-market properties, well over half will be affordable homes, and we have ensured that many of those have been delivered in the first phase of the development.”

Kelly Biddle from Orwell Housing added, “We are delighted to be welcoming families into these new homes in Laxfield.  These have been allocated on a ‘local lettings’ basis, which means priority is given to people with a connection to the village and its surroundings. 

“This is a really good example of how working in partnership can deliver new affordable homes which otherwise may not have been built.”

Phase one of the development, which is now complete, consists of eight affordable homes and three open-market homes.  The second phase will consist of six more affordable homes and eight open-market homes.

The development came about after former land owners, local couple Bob and Linda Wilson agreed to sell the land to Wellington to create the new homes.