Council visits quality affordable housing development

Article date: 18 March 2022

The development by Torus at Pennine Close, Parr offers 10 three-bedroom houses - all at affordable rents - built by OSCO Homes using modern, modular construction methods.

Four of the properties were built with a third floor to provide a larger master bedroom to help with larger family groups and home working arrangements.

The houses are built to NHBC compliant standards with high levels of insulation to reduce heating and offset fuel poverty issues.

In recent years, newer models of affordable housing have been introduced to help people onto the property ladder, including shared ownership and rent to buy models, as well as the introduction of affordable rented housing - with the council wanting to achieve a good mix of both.

The council is working closely with registered providers of housing to strengthen relationships to ensure the right properties are built that meet people's needs, with affordable rent and affordable home ownership forming part of the development.

Other recent examples include Livv Housing Group's Abbotsfield site in Bold providing 22 Shared Ownership homes, and Marshalls Cross Road offering 20 houses and 12 cottage style apartments at affordable rents.

Councillor Jeanie Bell, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Safer, Stronger Communities, said:

"The promise made in our draft Housing Strategy is to provide quality and accessible homes for all. Quality in the homes that we build, the investment that we make to existing homes and the neighbourhoods that we live in, and homes that are accessible in that we all have opportunities to live in a home that meets our needs and aspirations.

"Homes like those at Pennine Close fulfilling this promise, while resetting expectations about how affordable housing can be presented and how they can be integrated into our neighbourhoods in a way that ultimately strengthens our communities."

Chris Bowen, Managing Director of Torus Developments, said: "Creating modern, high quality homes that are more sustainable is something we are striving towards as an affordable housing provider and Pennine Close is one of the first schemes of its type we have developed. It's fantastic to see how modern construction methods can actively support people to live well and support St Helens Borough Council's wider ambition of becoming a greener region."