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Devonport Community Land Trust is a locally based organisation with a growing portfolio of commercial and residential properties and we are a key partner on this latest exciting project.
These new eco friendly family homes are bright and spacious, highly insulated, with low energy and water bills and an intermediate rent e.g. 20% less than market price.
The homes are fitted with solar panels, ground source heat pumps and smart meters which monitor energy used and generated. The new homes meet level five of the Code for Sustainable Homes, which means they are at a very high level for efficiency and carbon reduction.
Families who are interested will need to demonstrate that they have an interest in environmental issues and that they will be willing to take part in a lifestyle monitoring project to help others learn about living in an environmentally friendly home. Preference will be given to families who already live in Devonport or have a strong local connection to the area.
The five houses are a mix of two and three bedrooms. Rents are currently estimated to be £115.07 a week for a two bedroom house and £136.93 a week for a three bedroom house; this includes a small service charge. There is also a potential that in the future some of the homes could be bought through the shared ownership, homebuy scheme.
The homes will be ready in August and are situated adjacent to Garrison Close in Devonport. Plymouth City Council made this land available and also supported the project through the development and letting processes.
Trewin Design Partnership designed the homes and Mansell are the contractors who are building the properties. The project has received substantial funding from the Devonport Regeneration Community Partnership (DRCP) through the government’s New Deals for Communities programme.
Richard Connolly, Group Director of Investment, Devon & Cornwall Housing said: “The land has been provided by Plymouth City council for which we are most appreciative”.
Chris Byers, Devonport Community Land Trust said: “Devonport Community Land Trust is committed to helping the Devonport community to live and work sustainably. We are proud to have worked in partnership with Devon & Cornwall Housing to build the first Plymouth homes of this very high environment standard in the Devonport community”.
Teresa Lakeman, New Deals for Communities said: “DRCP is delighted to have been able to support local people to move into these highly environmentally friendly homes and we very much hope that five local families will wish to take up the opportunity to move in.This is one of the last two schemes New Deal funding has been able to support at the end of the programme and we are delighted with the quality of the new homes that Devonport Community Lands Trust and Devon & Cornwall Housing have produced”.
Plymouth City Councillor Ted Fry, Cabinet Member for Planning, Strategic Housing and Economic Development said: “This is an exciting development made possible by the careful use of Council owned land.We are pleased that a housing association with strong links to the city and Devonport in particular is at the forefront of building homes of this standard.We hope it will be the first of many such projects.”
The homes will be advertised through Devon Home Choice at the end of June.
