Families living in the seven new affordable homes at Readymoney enjoyed a traditional cream team as Michael Penprase announced their arrival to the good folk of Fowey.
Mayor Anne Boosey said it is a great honour to be asked to officially open these houses: “It is very rare that I am involved from start to finish, as this scheme came about from a conversation with one of the Restormel planning team a good five years ago, when I was asked what I thought about building on Readymoney car park, and I said I thought it was a great idea. And that’s how it all started and I am delighted to see the houses now up and running. I would also like to recognise the hard work that Tony Ryde put into the scheme when he was Mayor, and I hope that this is duly appreciated by everyone concerned.”
These are the first new properties that Ocean has built in Fowey, providing five affordable homes for rent and two HomeBuy houses for shared ownership. “Fowey is justifiably Cornwall’s jewel in the crown but this has resulted in private housing being well out of the price range for most local people,” said Ocean Group Chief Executive, David Renwick. “That’s why we are particularly proud to have provided affordable homes in such a sought after area. This is not only good news for the families living in St Catherines View, but it also helps to retain the traditional character of Fowey. The demand for these homes has been staggering, clearly showing that there is a great need amongst local people for high quality housing in Fowey. We are currently looking at the possibility of building further houses in the town for local people. “
The £ 800,000 development was made possible through a partnership between Ocean, Fowey Town Council, the previous Restormel Borough Council and the Homes & Community Agency that grant funded the project to a tune of £ 250,000.
The development was constructed on half of an under-utilised car park and makes the best use of the surrounding mature landscape that was carefully preserved and enhanced. The contemporary homes meet very demanding environmental and sustainability standards, with high levels of insulation and renewable green heating systems helping to reduce energy bills for the residents.
The homes were designed by the Architects Design Group and constructed by Gilbert & Goode who completed the development under budget and under time. The construction team was extremely sensitive about building in an established residential area and the Considerate Constructors programme ranked the site in the top 1 – 2 % of construction sites nation-wide. This is an industry recognised scheme which seeks to minimise the impact of construction works on local neighbourhoods and the environment.
