Over 100 new homes in Medway
The development team at mhs homes and Heart of Medway
Housing Association have worked closely with Medway Council to
build over 100 new homes for rent and shared ownership during
2011-12. Many of the schemes are part funded by the Homes and
Communities Agency with over £5.5million grant.
We continue to build good quality affordable homes with an on
going development programme into the future to build more quality
dwellings for both affordable rent and shared ownership.
To meet resident’s needs our new developments, which are
currently all in the Medway area are located in Rochester, Chatham
and Gillingham varying from 1 and 2 bedroom flats to larger 4 and 5
bedroom houses. Developments include sites already in our
ownership, for example garage sites with history of anti- social
behaviour and spaceway bungalows, as well as land specifically
purchased for new build projects from the open market and working
in partnership with national developers to provide affordable homes
on larger schemes.
We strive to build new developments with good space
standard and to a high quality, including lifetime homes which
allows residents to live in their home long term as the property is
capable of adapting to their change in mobility. The homes are
built to meet a minimum level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes,
with high levels of insulation to help keep residents’ energy bills
low. Where possible the new homes are built to meet the higher
level 4 and in the future we hope to provide more to this
standard.
New homes at Elizabeth Fry Terrace
In November 2011 we saw the completion of a scheme
comprising of 9 new homes in Rochester, which has been called
Elizabeth Fry Terrace after the renowned Prison reformist
Elizabeth Fry.
The highly energy efficient homes are built to code level 4
of the governments code for sustainable homes. They benefit from
exceptionally well insulated walls, improved thermal efficiency and
reduced energy consumption. The highly efficient hot water and
heating systems will contribute to lower running costs for the
residents. Six of the houses have been let for general needs rent
through Kent Homechoice and the remaining three houses have
been sold through a shared ownership scheme.
mhs homes received £465,000 in grant funding from the HCA to
develop the scheme.
Residents move in to new homes in Chatham
This site in Yarrow Road Chatham
previously housed three one bedroom pre-fabricated bungalows. The
homes were outdated and no longer fit for purpose. It was decided
to redevelop the site to meet current and future housing need, with
a mix of unit types for rent.
Demolition and construction began on site
in April 2011 with works completed in September 2011. The old
bungalows have now been replaced with 5 modern and sustainable
homes including two flats with 2
bedrooms, two houses with 2 bedrooms and one
wheelchair adapted bungalow with 1 bedroom . Residents
bid for their new homes through Kent Homechoice and moved in at the
end of September.
The new homes are built to ‘lifetime homes’
standard, so that future adaptations to accommodate the
changing needs of the resident in years to come are
relatively easy to make, e.g through the floor lift and changing
the bathroom to a level access shower.
Former garage site makes way for new housing
This particular development of new houses is an important
transformation of some old disused garages that had become a
favourite place for fly tippers and a target for vandalism and
theft.
With this in mind mhs homes chose to redevelop the garages into
new family houses, with the help of £300,000 in grant funding from
the Homes and Communities Agency.
The garages were demolished in March to make way for a terrace
of four 2 bedroom houses and one detached 3 bedroom house with an
enclosed parking courtyard at Hohler Court, off Gerald Avenue. The
new homes are named after Sir Gerald Fitzroy Hohler - MP for
Chatham between 1910 – 1920, which follows the trend of other roads
in the area named after Members of Parliament.
The new residents who bid for the properties through Kent
Homechoice, moved in to their new homes in August 2011.
New energy efficient homes in Rainham
Formerly the Marlborough Centre, with a host of previous
uses including a nursery and a canteen, the development at
Maidstone Road, Rainham recently became home to 11 new families
this month.
The new scheme consists of one bungalow with 1
bedroom, two bungalows with 3 bedrooms, one house with 2
bedrooms and seven housses with 3 bedrooms, all of which were
advertised through Kent Homechoice and have been allocated to
general needs tenants.
Five of the properties to the rear of the development are
situated on the newly named ‘Durrell Place’.
The properties meet a high efficiency rating, achieving level 4
of the code for sustainable homes. The installation of photovoltaic
panels will reduce energy costs for residents. The properties also
benefit from a highly insulated timber frame construction and an
energy efficient combi boiler. This is the second scheme to be
delivered during 2011 that meets this higher level of
sustainability.
These properties have been part funded by the Homes and
Communities agency through a grant allocation of £660,000 for mhs
homes.
More affordable homes delivered across Medway
The Development Team are proud to announce the
delivery of three more schemes. This includes 5 brand new family
houses at Orchid Court in Campion Close, Chatham (pictured) for mhs
homes and the first Heart of Medway properties, 20 houses in
various locations around Medway for the ‘purchase and repair’
(P&R) project and 14 new build flats at Hollybrook House in
Medway Gate, Cuxton.
The Development Team worked in partnership with
the HCA and Medway Council on the P&R project to focus on
purchasing empty properties which were available for sale on the
open market to bring them back in to use.
The new build properties are built to the code
for sustainable homes. At Orchid Court the homes
achieved level 4 of the code for sustainable homes which means
that the properties benefit from exceptionally well insulated
walls, improved thermal efficiency and reduced energy consumption,
whilst also having highly efficient hot water and heating system
all contributing to lower running costs for residents. All
properties are now occupied and were let to general needs residents
via Kent Homechoice.
mhs homes received £325,000 in grant funding from
the Homes and Communities Agency to part fund the development at
Campion Close and the first of the Heart of Medway schemes received
just short of £2.2million in grant.
Saxon Shore House at Eastcourt Lane
The former Sportsman's pub site on Eastcourt
Lane was a derelict building which had suffered from various
vandalism incidents. mhs homes received £550,000 in grant funding
from the Homes and Communities Agency to part fund redevelopment of
the site in response to housing needs. The housing supply in
Twydall largely comprises of family housing but there is also a
demand from smaller families, couples and single people to live in
the community. The Development Team are pleased to unveil the brand
new development of 16 modern apartments, named Saxon Shore House.
The scheme consists of both 1 and 2 bedroom flats which reach
modern energy efficiency standards, achieving level 3 of the Code
for Sustainable Homes. mhs homes worked with in house contractor
mhs commercial to build the scheme.
All of the new homes are occupied by general needs residents,
let through Kent Homechoice.
Nine new flats in
Gillingham
The
site at Gads Hill Gillingham was previously home to the
derelict Four Brothers Pub and was purchased with the
benefit of planning consent for nine flats by mhs
homes in March 2010.
The development team have worked with
contractor Chartway Group to redevelop this site for social
housing. The newly constructed block of nine 1
bedroom flats has been designated for general needs rent. All homes
were allocated through Kent Homechoice and are now
fully occupied by the residents.
The scheme was part funded with
£585,000 in grant funding from the Homes and Communities
Agency (HCA).
Each property has
been finished to high eco-standards, achieving Level 3 of
the Code for Sustainable Homes. This scheme was constructed
utilising an innovative modern method of construction (MMC) known
as Volumetric Off Site Manufacturing (V-OSM).
This scheme also boasts a 'Feed In
Tariff' due to the energy efficient solar photo voltaic
panels on the roof. The solar panels provide electricity
to the communal areas in the block of flats as well as lighting to
external areas. mhs homes will be paid by the energy
supplier for any excess electricity
generated as the excess will be exported back to
the National Grid. This allows for reduced cost of
electricity for the communal lighting and heating and
consequently lower services charges for the residents.The feed in
tariff will allow mhs homes to re invest any money that is paid
back by the electricity network to our services.
New homes delivered in Strood & Chatham
During August and September
2010 mhs homes received handover of 6 new
properties across two seperate sites in Strood
and Chatham.
The family homes on Seagull Road in
Strood and Barnfield in Chatham each have 3 bedrooms, boast
large kitchen/diners as well as bright living rooms leading
straight out onto the garden.
Solar Panels on the roofs as well as
the installation of a highly efficient heating system have ensured
that these schemes have achieved Level 3 of the Code for
Sustainable Homes.
Both sites previously housed outdated pre-fabricated bungalows but
the new properties are modern and secure having been built to
comply with Secure By Design standards endorsed by Medway
Police.
mhs homes received £329,500 in grant
funding from the Homes and Communities Agency to part fund these
developments. All six houses have been let to general needs tenants
through Kent Homechoice.
mhs homes biggest development to date!
In 2009 mhs homes started working in
partnership with Taylor Wimpey on the Development Team's largest
project to date, purchasing 63 new build properties on the site off
Bells Lane in Hoo.
mhs homes has been able to
provide these new homes by working with Medway Council to secure
over £4 million pounds of grant funding from the Homes and
Communities Agency. All the properties have achieved an Eco Homes
Very Good accreditation.
In 2010 the Development Team
took the handover of the first 37 properties which included a
mixture of 2 bedroom flats and 2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses for
general needs tenants. The final phase consisted of a block of 26
one bedroom flats that form the newly completed sheltered
accommodation, Great Paul House which is pictured.
An official opening took place
to mark the completion of the scheme in September 2010 with
special guest Mark Reckless, MP for Rochester and Strood.