TOPPING OUT CEREMONY MARKS 17 NEW HOMES FOR BRISTON

A traditional topping out ceremony has marked the completion of 17 new affordable homes in Briston, the result of a £2 million investment in the village.

Victory Housing Trust chief executive John Archibald joined Paul Pitcher, managing director of constructor Wellington, in a cherry-picker to pour a pint of local ale over the roof of one of the new homes, on Church Street in the village.

The mixture of flats, houses and bungalows is being built by Lowestoft-based builder Wellington, a firm which is delivering an increasing number of affordable homes across Norfolk and Suffolk.

They have been made possible through a £1.71 million investment by Victory, together with a £286,000 grant from the Homes & Communities Agency.

Fourteen of the new homes will be available for affordable rental, with the remaining three offered on a shared ownership basis.

John Archibald commented, “in 2013 we pledged to build 1,000 new homes by 2023, and developments such as this one in Briston have ensured that we are currently ahead of that target, with 280 new homes delivered since we made that promise, and a further 192 new homes currently under construction.

“It is by working in partnerships such as this one with Wellington and the HCA that we are able to keep building much-needed affordable homes, especially in rural communities such as Briston.”

Paul Pitcher added, ”This is one of a number of sites where we have worked with Victory to deliver new affordable homes in the northern half of Norfolk.  We are delighted to be a partner in their ambitious new build programme.

“It is just seven months since we broke the ground here in Briston, and we are now well on the way to delivering 17 new homes for local people.

“We are building a strong reputation for delivering high quality homes for housing associations across Norfolk and Suffolk.”

The new homes will consist of four one-bed flats; four two-bed flats; one one-bed bungalow; three two-bed bun gallows; one two-bed wheelchair accessible bungalow; three two-bed houses; and one three-bed house.

Now that the external construction is complete, internal fitting-out is underway, with the new homes expected to be handed at the end of the year.