Redundant school site provides new council homes
Council officers and representatives from Pentaco Construction. Front row, left to right, Colin Lay, Arthur Charvonia, Richard Winch, Andrew Mellen. Photo: Lucy Taylor Photography/Mid Suffolk District Council.
Next month, 24 families will pick up the keys to their new town centre homes, following the transformation of the former Stowmarket Middle School site into affordable rent council housing.
Mid Suffolk District Council purchased the redundant site from the local education authority to provide homes for lower income households, after the site was left empty by the closure of the school in 2015.
Working in partnership with contractors Pentaco Construction Ltd, the council has created 38 affordable homes at the town centre site, offering a mix of affordable rent, social rent and shared ownership homes at below market value.
Richard Winch, cabinet member for Housing and property at Mid Suffolk District Council was on hand with representatives from the council to receive the keys from Pentaco Construction and inspect the new homes – consisting of six one-bedroom flats, eight two-bedroom flats, 13 two-bedroom houses, one two-bedroom bungalow, eight three-bedroom houses and two four-bedroom houses.
Of those, 14 homes have been made available for affordable rent (where tenants pay less than local market rent), 10 for social rent and 14 shared ownership homes – supporting people to climb onto the first rung of the property ladder.
Councillor Winch said: “I am delighted that we have been able to breathe new life into this town centre site and the delivery of this stunning development in the town centre. This is a major investment in the delivery of new homes and the sustainability of the town centre, supporting our residents and encouraging and developing thriving communities.”
In addition to the completion of this development, the council over the last 12 months has also secured 45 new homes across the district this year in Bramford, Debenham. Laxfield and Stowmarket via Section 106 contributions – legal agreements with housing developers to provide a certain amount of affordable housing as part of each development – meaning new council houses are built alongside private sale properties as part of new, growing communities.
This has provided a range of housing options including one-bedroom flats, two, three and four-bedroom homes.
Further plans are in the pipeline to ensure the delivery of more new council properties during 2024/25.