Project brings homes hopes
Feb 29 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal
A PUBLIC consultation into a project that will provide affordable housing in a Northumberland village has begun.
Allendale Community Housing Ltd was established last year to investigate the possibility of providing affordable housing for people who otherwise would not be able to live in the village.
Now the group is close to securing its first property – The Annex next to Deneholme – which it is buying from Tynedale District Council.
Once the deal to buy the building from the council is secured, it will be demolished and replaced with up to four new homes.
The group has not yet decided exactly how the scheme will work – whether the homes will be for sale or rent.
Graham Girvan chairs the community housing group, which has just held a meeting to get the views of Allendale residents on the first development.
He said: “The meeting was held to allow folk to give their ideas on what sort of development they would like to see.
“It is a well-known building so we were looking to see what people wanted. Many questions and issues were raised.”
Among those issues, which a working party will now investigate, is how the houses will be allocated, how the term affordable is defined and what measures will be put in place to ensure homes go to local people.
Other points raised at the meeting, which was attended by about 30 people, were that the new building should be solar powered and carbon neutral, and there were concerns over parking and access.
Mr Girvan said that the development was only the beginning for the group. He added: “We see this very much as being the first and certainly not the last project and so we want to get it right.
“The two key things about the trust are that it is controlled by the community and that its assets are locked in.
“That means there is no selling on to a third party and that they are held in perpetuity for the benefit of the community.”
A team of architects will now draw up plans for the design of the building, which will be put on display in the village before going before Tynedale Council planners for approval.
Mr Girvan added: “I am being very cautious about putting a timescale on the project. It is safe to say that everybody wants it as soon as is practicable.”
