A former bowling green and garage site in Shaw, Oldham, is to become a place people will someday call home.
In a £2.8m deal with Beardwell Developments, First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) is delivering 10 new four-bedroom homes on the brownfield site.
The development is part of the housing association’s wider strategy to deliver 1,100 new energy efficient homes in Oldham, Rochdale, Tameside, Kirklees, and Calderdale between 2020 and 2026.
Five of the homes will be offered for the shared ownership marketed under FCHO’s Fabric Living brand. The remaining five properties will be for affordable rent, which means they will be let at a 20% lower figure than private market rents.
Joel Owen, FCHO’s director of development, said: “The modern, energy efficient homes at this scheme are part of our ongoing work to increase the number of affordable homes locally to meet increasing demand.
“High house prices and a shortage of affordable options mean many local buyers face difficulty getting onto the property ladder. By building a variety of property types and offering a choice of tenures we want to help local people secure the quality homes they need.
“Important too is our brownfield-first approach, bringing derelict sites into residential use and enhancing the local area for residents.”
As part of the housing association’s drive to build sustainable homes, all the properties are designed to be highly energy efficient through a ‘fabric first’ approach, and achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) B rating to help residents keep bills and carbon emissions down.
The project has received £515,000 grant funding from Homes England. Construction is underway and homes are due for completion in winter this year.
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