Work has started on a housing development which will provide 39 affordable homes in Ashburton.
We have teamed up with Dartmoor National Park Authority, Teignbridge District Council and local developers Coyde Construction to develop a scheme for the four-acre site.
It is expected the first homes will be ready to move into during autumn 2022.
The development will include a range of homes, from one to four-bedroom properties, including a two bedroom bungalow which will be specifically built for a wheelchair user. The homes will be a mix of 25 social rent units and 14 units for shared ownership.
The development will benefit from both Homes England strategic partnership funding and Teignbridge District Council grant funding.
Michael Howells, Assistant Development Manager for LiveWest, said: “We are very excited to have started our new development in Ashburton.
“Our vision is to create homes and communities that people love to live in and this is a location which definitely supports this.
“We have a firm commitment to deliver new affordable homes across the South West which will make a huge contribution to meeting local housing needs.
“Due to the additional funding, the development at Ashburton is being delivered as a 100 per cent affordable housing development.”
Jenny Coyde, Managing Director for Coyde Construction, said: “We are looking forward to working with the team and the local community to deliver a housing scheme that will provide high quality affordable homes.”
The last affordable housing development in Ashburton was completed in 2000.
Since then, the Ashburton Affordable Housing Group, its successor Ashburton Community Land Trust and Ashburton Town Council, have continued to explore ways of working with partners to provide and allocate more affordable homes for residents and people with a close connection to the town.
Cllr Jenny Giles, Mayor of Ashburton, said: “We would like to thank the landowners who have so generously brought this land forward for affordable homes, Dartmoor National Park Authority, Devon County Council, Teignbridge District Council, Homes England and LiveWest, for taking the Longstone Cross project forward.”
Cllr Elaine Baker Chair, Chairman of Ashburton Town Council’s planning committee, said: ‘This development will enable Ashburton residents and those with connections to the Town, to be able to remain in or return to our Community. Affordable housing is much needed within the town and Longstone Cross brings forward this long-awaited development.’
Cllr Philip Vogel, Chairman of the Ashburton Community Land Trust, said: ‘It has been a long journey and LiveWest are to be commended in bringing to fruition an aspiration started by the Affordable Housing Group 12 years ago. ACLT will continue to work with landowners and development partners to bring forward quality homes for our community.”
Teignbridge District Council has contributed £100,000 towards the development.
Councillor Martin Wrigley, Teignbridge Council’s Executive Member for Housing, said: “We are committed to providing affordable homes across Teignbridge, and particularly in areas of the district where people struggle to find a home in which to live, work and bring up their family.
“It’s great that this development will enable people with local connections to access high quality, low cost homes. It shows the result of a superb collaboration between all the partners involved in this project.”
Dan Janota, Head of Forward Planning and Economy, Dartmoor National Park Authority said: “This affordable housing scheme is a credit to the persistent hard work of all the partners involved, including the National Park Authority planning team, Teignbridge housing team, LiveWest and Ashburton Town Council.
“It is great to see the development moving forward to provide much needed affordable housing which is so important to sustaining Ashburton as a thriving and vibrant Dartmoor community.”