Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing is committed to delivering high quality and affordable housing. A new affordable housing development in Weston Rhyn, will consist of sixteen homes of mainly houses for general needs housing and twenty-four homes for older people. The latter will be an enhanced independent living community consisting of a combination of bungalows and low-rise apartments. The whole development will be served by a separate communal building that will be at the hub of the community.
The development, which is due for completion in 2023, is delivering much needed housing for affordable rent and shared ownership properties within an independent living community. The independent living community is designed around the HAPPI principles (Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation), with good circulation, flexible spaces, level access shower rooms, external mobility scooter stores for each home, a passenger lift and private winter garden (apartments) or patios (bungalows). Residents will have the use of an attractive communal courtyard along with seating benches and communal low level planting beds. The site will offer contemporary thermal insulation and will include a low-carbon heating system of ground and air source pumps as alternatives to gas boilers. Select properties will also benefit from Solar PV panels to help reduce peoples’ energy bills.
This new development provides an exciting opportunity for current residents of Fairfield Close in Gobowen. Sitting just a couple of miles away, the aging accommodation at Fairfield Close is increasingly unfit for purpose having been originally built in the 1960’s and the site is under consultation for a future use that will benefit the community.
The existing residents at Fairfield Close are being regularly consulted with and STAR Housing has employed a full time, dedicated Liaison Officer to ensure residents have support for their individual needs with moving home and can benefit from the new development at Weston Rhyn. Residents are being supported in every possible way, including the provision of a £7,000 contribution towards moving costs to alleviate any financial impacts.
Managing Director at STAR Housing, Sue Adams, says. “We are pleased to be able to be bringing much needed high-quality accommodation that is sensitive in design, and built to enable energy efficient living. Our residents at Fairfield Close are all being individually supported to move to a comfortable home – be that at Weston Rhyn, or our other existing Independent Living Schemes or within a different location if preferred.”
Tap / Click on Image to enlarge
