Okay, so the media big shot’s newly built home is bigger, and comes with a prized view of the Camel estuary, but Russell’s three-bedroom house enjoys the same location and far-reaching glimpses of its own, at least from upstairs. Both properties, like the others on the estate, come with ground-source heat pumps, triple-glazed Swedish windows and classy slate roofs.
The government’s affordable housing scheme is the key. Of the eight properties at the Ham Field estate, four “fabulous new contemporary eco-homes” are featured in the glossy sales brochure. The other four are classified “affordable”, their very existence a condition imposed by the planning department when it granted permission for the development. Of these four, three have been sold to Guinness Hermitage, a housing association that provides homes for rent and shared ownership in the south and southwest.
More than anything, though, this tiny Cornish development is typical of the way that even the big boys are starting to take affordable homes more seriously. Each local authority is different, but typically a site of 100 units would have to have 30 “affordable” properties. In the past, these would probably have been constructed on the cheap, but now most aim for a higher standard — and in today’s economic climate, more are being offered as “affordable” to encourage a sale.
If this is of interest to you - There's lots in the pipeline locally - Local house builder Springfield has recently offered some superb examples at Imlach Way, Lossiemouth - I wouldn't mind living in these myself.
Plus with new affordable housing sites underway in both Buckie & Forres, these are well worth a look for those people on lower incomes.
Until the next time,
Mr Jackson.
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