Hundred Houses Association announces plan for new homes for local people in Hardwick

Date: 02 August 2006 
Ref: Hard001.26072006

A local housing association, Hundred Houses Society, has announced its application for planning permission to build 28 new homes for local people in the Cambridgeshire village of Hardwick.

Chris Jackson, Chief Executive of Hundred Houses Society, said that the site had been selected after five-year search for suitable sites that would help meet the long-term housing needs of the village. The site is on the southern edge of the village and will provide a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership properties designed to meet the housing needs of local people. 

As part of the planning permission, a Section 106 planning agreement has been drawn up to restrict the lettings and sales to people who have a strong connection to the village or surrounding parishes. South Cambridgeshire District Council has more than 800 households on its housing register for Hardwick and 83 of those are already living in the village or have strong family connections.

Some neighbours have already expressed interest in the shared ownership sale homes as a first step to home ownership and providing an affordable way of staying in the village.

Neighbours, Hardwick Parish Council and South Cambs District Councillors have already been consulted on the design and layout of the site, most recently at a meeting in the Society’s offices in Cambridge. Chris Jackson said, while some concerns had been expressed on traffic and sewage treatment, the scheme designers, Annand & Mustoe, had taken account of these issues in consultation with the Highways authority, County Countryside Services Team and Anglian Water. 

South Cambridgeshire District Council is due to consider Hundred Houses Society’s application within the next three months following public consultation and, if approved, construction could be underway early in 2007.

ENDS

Note to Editors

1. More information at www.hhs.org.uk or by contacting Chris Jackson, Chief Executive on 01223 315036

2. The Housing Corporation is the government agency responsible for delivering new affordable homes and regulating 1,500 housing associations across England. Its current investment programme of £3.9 billion for 2006-2008 is its biggest ever and is set to provide around 80,000 new affordable homes from housing associations and private developers throughout the country. The Housing Corporation’s website is www.housingcorp.gov.uk

3. Hundred Houses Society manages 720 homes in Cambridge, and is building 160 more in Cambridgeshire and north Essex

4. Housing associations are grant funded by the Housing Corporation and raise money by bank and building society loans to buy land to build new homes

5. Exception sites are only available for development by housing associations who can guarantee letting and sales to people with a local connection in perpetuity

6. Shared ownership is a part-rent, part-buy scheme aimed to offer a home ownership option of an affordable home by offering shares of 50% of the open market value

7. A previous application was withdrawn in 2003 after local residents voiced concerns over the scheme.  The scheme has been redesigned taking account of public consultation and seeks to recreate a village green incorporating traffic management and safe areas for pedestrians