Good news - A brighter horizon for sustainable homes
Last updated 05/03/2009 13:37:49
A brighter horizon for sustainable homes
Planning permission has been given to a new £2.1m scheme to build a development that will provide "much needed older persons' bungalows" that are sustainable making them more affordable to heat and run.
Under Brighter Horizons, the new subsidiary company of ALMO Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), 18 two bedroom bungalows and 4 three bedroom houses will be built on the existing site on Croft St Rochdale was formerly occupied by 10 poor quality bungalows and garages.
"This development will provide much need social rented accommodation in a predominantly owner occupier neighbourhood," said Gareth Swarbrick, chief executive of RBH.
He added that the scheme will be delivered according to a model that is that forefront to ALMO development, making these homes affordable and support wider regeneration and local construction industry.
ALMO, an ‘Arms Length Management Organisation' is a company set up by a local authority to manage and improve all or part of its housing stock.
The company is owned by the local authority and operates under the terms of a management agreement between the authority and the ALMO. An ALMO is managed by a board of directors which includes tenants, local authority nominees and independent members.
In 2008 Rochdale Boroughwide Housing become one of only 22 ALMOs to be able to bid for grant support from the National Affordable Homes Programme and will be bidding for grant to the Homes and Communities Agency. Brighter Horizons will be the developer and owner of the new units and RBH will manage and maintain the new units on its behalf.
The new properties will provide replacement homes for tenants of the former Croft St bungalows as well as tenants from a nearby regeneration area and others in housing need.
RBH believe this model has the potential to deliver new housing on a much wider scale as other development sites are identified and brought forward. Its pre-qualification bid to the Housing Corporation was based on the development of 150 units over 3 years and RBH is now working closely with Rochdale Council's Strategic Housing Services to identify further sites for acquisition and development.
Swarbrick added: "The development of Brighter Horizons provides an opportunity for RBH to play a major role in building new modern affordable rented homes to meet local needs and we will be focusing our efforts to bring forward more new homes up to 2011."