The Vale Housing Association
The Old Maltings, Vineyard, Abingdon
Oxfordshire
OX14 3UG
Release Date: 02/04/07
Contact: Communications & Research Team
Telephone (01235) 536001, Fax (01235) 536116
Four affordable flats for rent and two shared ownership flats have been built in Southmoor by The Vale Housing Association. All the residents that have now moved in have local connections and this development enables them to continue to live affordably in the area.
New resident Kathryn Jones said: “It is lovely to be able to stay in the village. House prices and private rent rates in Southmoor make it unaffordable for young or single people to live here now. My family has lived in the village since 1969 and I’m delighted to be able to stay here.”
In order to maintain the sustainability of the village, a “local connections” lettings plan have been agreed with the Vale of White Horse District Council. This gives extra priority to people living locally, or who have another local connection such as family or work.
The development, which has been built on a former garage site and part of a back garden, has been christened Chapel Mews, because of the nearby village chapel. This development is the first partnership between The VHA and the Oxfordshire Rural Housing Partnership (ORHP), which was established in 2003 to provide 500 affordable rural homes across the county by 2009. The VHA obtained a grant of £159,000 from the Housing Corporation which contributed to the total cost of £670,000.
The VHA is hosting an event to celebrate the official opening of the new Chapel Mews development on Friday 18th May. This will be an opportunity for residents, local people and people who have been involved in the design and construction of Chapel Mews to look around the finished development and meet others connected with it.
The flats have been specially designed to make sure that they fit in with existing architectural styles in the village. John Martin, Head of Design at The VHA, said: “The terrace structure fits into the street scene and the cottage form of elevation is in keeping with older sections of Southmoor and other similar villages. It was also important to contain the height of the buildings, the dormer windows in the roof break up the elevation and keep the proportions of the property in line.”
The properties have also been given environmental enhancements such as a bat box and permeable paving slabs to provide a sustainable drainage system. They will be energy efficient to heat and maintain. Two of the flats have also been give disabled adaptations to meet the needs of the tenants that will live in them.