Councillors received the keys to a new social housing development in Shotley this week – just some of 28 new affordable homes due to be completed in Babergh over coming weeks.
Eight families can now look forward to moving into the new homes at Queensland, Shotley – with three of the properties specifically allocated for families with a local parish connection.
Babergh District Council’s cabinet member for Housing Cllr Jan Osborne, and ward councillor Cllr Derek Davis were on hand to collect the keys from contractors DCH Construction Ltd.
The two-bedroom homes will now be added to Babergh District Council’s existing stock of more than 3,400 council homes – with further social housing schemes also due to complete soon in Cockfield, Great Waldingfield and Sproughton.*
The new homes provide a mix of social, affordable rental (with the cost of monthly rent set below the market rate) and shared ownership options, helping lower income house-hunters onto the first rung of the property ladder.
These latest developments also support the councils’ commitment to combating climate change, with the new-build homes at Shotley and Great Waldingfield using air source heat pumps as the primary heating source, making them more energy efficient and reducing carbon emissions. Electric car charging points also feature at the Cockfield and Shotley developments.
Cllr Osborne said: “This investment represents so much more than bricks and mortar. This is about ensuring we can meet local housing need for local people by creating affordable, safe and sustainable properties that people are proud to call home.
“I wish all our future tenants and home-owners every happiness, both here in Shotley and across our district.”
The new council homes will be allocated depending on need via Gateway to Homechoice. Anyone interested in finding out more about buying a property through a shared ownership scheme, should register with the Help To Buy scheme.