Published: Wednesday 07th September 2016 | 4.32pm
Residents joined Cannock Chase Council and developers Jessup to celebrate the completion of a £2M affordable housing development.
Hillsprings Court comprises 23 properties, which have all been let by the Council for affordable rent, on the site which previously housed the former Hillsprings Health Centre. The construction was undertaken by local Cannock-based developer Jessup, and the scheme designed by local architects S.P.Faizey.
An event to mark the completion of the development was held this week, with Council members, senior officers and Jessup representatives taking a tour of the site and meeting with two of the new Council tenants at the scheme.
Mr and Mrs Buckley kindly welcomed Councillors into their home and said “we are very happy with the property, it is lovely and warm. After downsizing from a four bed house, the property is ideal for us, we are very lucky.”
Mr Stroud remarked that the two bed houses were “very spacious” and was incredibly pleased to have got the property for himself and his daughter.
An initial scheme of 14 flats and seven houses was made possible through the Government’s Housing Revenue Account Borrowing Programme, which the Council successfully bid for funds to increase its borrowing capacity to build the first new Council housing in Rugeley for over 25 years.
The scheme later became 23 properties after Jessup purchased land at the rear of the former Moderation Public House which was not being used by the current Convenience Store. Jessup offered the Council the opportunity to build two bungalows and successfully received grant funding from the Homes and Communities Agency to increase the scheme.
Councillor Frank Allen Portfolio Leader for Housing said “We are delighted to have delivered the first new Council housing in over 25 years in Rugeley, providing high quality housing for the residents of the area. I’m pleased we were able to provide a mix of housing on the site, including two new bungalows which were very much in demand.”
Clive Jessup, Managing Director of Jessup said “We are delighted to have delivered this scheme for the council, initially buying part of the land and securing some HCA grant funding. It demonstrates our company’s flexibility in delivering much needed homes within our communities. The development has also helped our local suppliers and apprentices gain valuable on-site training. We also must give credit to Cannock Chase Council for having the vision to deliver the first council houses in nearly 3 decades.”