Housing scheme is for local families

TWENTY-ONE new homes to provide affordable housing for rent to local people have been officially opened in North Cornwall.

The homes at Quarry View, Delabole, opened by Cornwall Council's Cabinet member for housing Mark Kaczmarek, have been built by the Cornwall Rural Housing Association (CRHA) at a total cost of £2.4 million.

Some of the lucky residents at the entrance to Quarry View, Delabole. Pictured with Councillor John Lugg, middle left, Cornwall councillor Mark Kaczmarek, centre, and Graham Facks-Martin, chairman of the CRHA, are Lizzie Hill, Karen Smith, Fiona Wilce, Abi Blanchard, Lily Davey, Violet Davey, Kaci Smith and Janaya, Tierney and Scarlett Burrell.
Cllr Mark Kaczmarek opens the new development at Quarry Close Delabole watched by Peter Moore, Director of the Cornwall Rural Housing Association, and Graham Facks-Martin, chairman.

They are on land given by Cornwall Council, which also provided funding of £540,000 to supplement the grant of £1.37 million provided by the Homes and Communities Agency.

A further £88,000 was received from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme to assist with installing photovoltaic solar panels to keep down electricity bills, and all the homes feature high levels of insulation.

Affordable rents range from £73.57 a week for a one-bedroom house up to £93.05 for a three-bedroom bungalow or house and £103.40 for four bedrooms.

Properties

Quarry View is the largest scheme of 46 completed by the CRHA in its 25-year history. It now owns 294 properties across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

It was made a condition of planning consent that the properties go to people with strong connections to the St Teath parish who were unable to buy or rent a home in the area.

Abi Blanchard, her partner and five children, aged from 2 to 15 years, were living nearby in a house with two bedrooms, but have four at Quarry View. "Having all this space is brilliant," she said.

"We're all able to sit up together at the table as a family and talk. We sit at the table every teatime; I insist on it. Before moving we'd have one eating in the bedroom, two in the kitchen, two in the sitting room, and I'd be standing up to eat.

"I still can't believe I'm here. I was born and bred in Delabole, as was my partner, and it's nice here in Quarry View because we know every single one of our neighbours."

Lizzie Hill, her partner Ashley Davey and four children also have a four- bedroom house, having had two before. "We were squashed there, but now it's lovely having lots of room," she said.

Karen Smith and her husband and three children had to move from their home as it was being sold, but now they have a new three-bedroom property. "It's lovely; we were lucky," said Karen.

Mr Kaczmarek said the development was "needed to keep a community like Delabole together.

"It's a good mix of young people and older residents. This development will always be available for local people."

CRHA director Peter Moore thanked Cornwall Council for its financial support and free land.