Tracy and Steve have a home together at last
Westward colleagues have joined new customers in celebrating the handover of 26 new homes, the first phase of 43 new Westward homes, at Colebrook in Plympton.
Delighted couple, Tracy and Steve (pictured), had been living apart and saving for more than six years in order to be able to afford their new home. They’d been searching for the right opportunity and had considered shared ownership, when Tracy saw the sign for the new homes available on ‘rent to buy’ terms, on her way down to her local shop.
They love the quiet and beautiful location, so once they heard that the house would be theirs then Steve, a keen gardener, quickly got permission for a polytunnel and shed in the garden.
Steve Finlay (pictured) says, “The house is wonderful and the neighbours are lovely, a real community with a mixture of ages and circumstances. This is brilliant and we feel really lucky.”
Tracy explains, “On rent to buy, we pay rent for five years at a lower rate to save to buy the house at the end of that. We are getting married this April and after more than six years as a couple, we are finally living together. We are very, very lucky and so happy.”
She adds, “I would recommend the rent to buy process to anybody, Westward and the credit check company we used made it easy. Communication was really good. We were kept in the loop and they were very accommodating.”
Steve smiles, “It really means the world to us. We couldn’t be happier.”
Westward’s 18 new homes to rent are a mix of two and three-bedroom homes. Some other renting customers were particularly delighted to move into their new homes following a traumatic experience when they lost their previous homes due to a fire in a block of flats with another landlord.
The rent to buy homes are a mix of two and three-bedroom and the shared ownership home is a three-bedroom property.
Further rented and shared ownership homes will follow through the spring and summer on this all-affordable estate in Plympton. A total of 43 much needed, affordable Westward homes will be provided.
The properties on this significant site are being provided in partnership and jointly funded by Plymouth City Council’s Plan for Homes initiative and Homes England’s ‘Affordable Homes Programme’ alongside funding from Westward.
The homes provide much needed affordable housing for the Plymouth area where the Devon Home Choice waiting list for Plymouth numbers more than 7,000 households.
The properties are being built by regional award-winning construction firm Classic Builders who have already provided other high quality, affordable homes for Westward in Plymouth.
The 43 homes in total will offer a range of housing options including 20 homes for social rent to local people. There will also be 9 rent to buy homes which provide an opportunity for people to save for a deposit, to then later buy the home you are renting.
For those seeking shared ownership opportunities this estate will also offer 14 homes. Part-rent, part-buy sales will be through the sales team at Westward with homes advertised on the website in due course.
Robert Stronge, Chair of Westward Housing, said, “The aim is to deliver the right homes at the right price and in the right locations. This will be a mix of affordable tenure types, whilst seeking to maximise the provision of social rented homes.”
Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Cooperative Development, said: “I am so pleased to be here today to see these fine houses become homes for the very first time.”
Westward has designed the homes to a high building regulations standard. Homes will have EPC (energy efficiency performance) rating to a minimum standard of B across the site. All homes will be sustainable timber frame construction with solar photovoltaic panels, high insulation standards and gas combination central heating and hot water systems.
Environmental management has been a priority. Westward is working with the Environment Agency to ensure protection for the fish that spawn in the brook whilst improving improved flood risk protection to benefit the community.
Stephen Lodge, Chief Executive at Westward Housing Group, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Westward to work with Plymouth City Council on a major site and make a huge difference to local people in terms of their housing options. I’m delighted to be working with our partners at Plymouth City Council and Classic Builders along with the other contractors to provide such a high standard of housing for those who need it most.”
The land was formerly a brownfield site with multiple previous uses including a bus repair yard. Colebrook is a highly desirable area of Plympton with great transport networks and local amenities.
At the celebration, Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Cooperative Development, was delighted to announce the launch of the Housing Partnership Agreement between Plymouth City Council and Westward Housing Group.
