Press Release

1000 affordable homes – an amazing achievement

New residents of Draysmans Walk and Coopers Lane, Abingdon are to join the Vale of White Horse District Council and local housing associations in celebrating the completion of 1000 affordable homes since the Council transferred its stock to the Vale Housing Association in 1995.  Since that time over 3000 people have been rehoused by the Council providing over £33 million of social housing grant. The event, to be held at 12.30 on 17th October, will bring together old and new Vale tenants, as well as many of those whose joint working has made this achievement possible.

One of the first people to move into a Vale Housing Association home will mark the milestone by handing over a house key sculptured from balloons to one of the new residents.  The couple to receive the key are Colin and Sarah Bennett, who together with their young baby, have moved into the road from temporary accommodation in Wantage.

The 1000th house forms part of the affordable housing element of a development built by Berkeley Homes for The Vale Housing Association and Beacon Housing Association, with funding from the District Council.  The site, part of the former Morlands Brewery, includes three houses and fourteen flats owned by the Vale Housing Association and three houses and 14 flats belonging to Beacon HA.  Beacon’s properties include eight flats intended for shared ownership, a part-rent, part-buy scheme.  The properties have been allocated to people on the Council’s Housing Register who might not otherwise be able to live in the area.

The Vale of White Horse District Council transferred its housing stock to the newly-formed Vale Housing Association in 1995 but continued to fund housing associations to build new homes in the area.  Cllr Briony Newport, Chairman of the Council, explains, “In 1995 we promised that we would fund 550 homes over the next five years.  We’re proud to have achieved even more than we promised.  Through working with other organisations in the area we have been able to contribute towards the future social and economic prosperity of the Vale”

Barbara Russell, Vice Chair and Tenant Board Member of the Vale Housing Association, comments, “As a tenant myself I know the importance of affordable housing.  We live in an area of extremely high housing costs and without schemes like this, many people would be driven out of the area.”

The presentation will be followed by a buffet lunch and the chance for guests, who will include the local MP Evan Harris, to look around some of the new houses. 

Notes to Editors:
The event will be held at 12.30pm on 17th October at Draysman’s Walk (see map for directions).  Journalists are welcome to attend the celebrations where there will be photo opportunities and the chance to speak to those involved.  However please note there is no parking on the site itself.

For further information please contact:

Emily Griffith  Stephanie Presland
Communications and Research Manager Communications Officer
The Vale Housing Association Vale of White Horse District Council
01235 536001 01235 540324

Michaela O’Brien
Public Relations
Beacon Housing Association
07905 849306