There is an early Christmas present for some tenants in Wiltshire as the first council homes to be built anywhere in the county for three decades have been handed over to new families.
The 14 new homes in Trowbridge which are covered by landlord insurance were completed by builders last month and another 17 homes are scheduled for completion in February 2011. The first tenants will be moving in this week.
These are the first council-owned homes built since the authority’s housing was transferred to West Wiltshire Housing Society and potential tenants have been able to bid for the houses through the Homes4Wiltshire scheme. The 31 new properties are part of a bigger project which aims to provide 65 new council-managed homes in the area, which is also supported by a £4m investment from the HCA (Homes and Communities Agency). Many of the new tenants were particularly delighted to have been given a home with a garden as it will benefit the children as they grow up and many said, to get the keys to the home before Christmas is the best gift they could get.
John Brady, cabinet member for housing, said “These are the first council houses to be built by Wiltshire Council and to get them finished, and tenants moved in by Christmas, is amazing.
“We’ve paid a lot of attention to ensuring the properties are what local people need and want and that they will contribute positively to their surrounding areas and communities.”
The Homes and Communities Agency say that investing in affordable new housing is a priority for them. They know about the huge demand for housing in places like Trowbridge, and they hope the council will play a big role in helping to meet the demand.
All the new properties will be more energy efficient than those built to standard building regulations as they have a mixture of high thermal efficiency of the walls, windows and roof as well as efficient gas central heating boilers. All of these measures will help each household save money every year on their fuel bills.