Construction has begun on a new development of 85 affordable homes on the site of a former factory in Ilkeston.
Erewash MP Maggie Throup was invited to view the start of the building work on Cotmanhay Road by Chan Kataria, Chief Executive of emh group, one of the largest providers of affordable housing and care in the East Midlands, who are developing the site in partnership with Westleigh Partnerships.
Prior to its demolition, the derelict factory was an eyesore and attracting a lot of anti-social behaviour. People living in neighbouring properties are delighted that it has finally been demolished and that there will be new affordable homes in the area.
The £11 million scheme is being funded by emh group with contributions from Homes England and Erewash Borough Council, who were keen to support specific types of homes to meet local demand. The 85 new homes – including 55 for affordable rent, 20 for shared ownership sale, and 10 for rent-to-buy – are part of an ambitious growth programme by emh group which will see the organisation deliver 500 new homes a year from 2019 onwards.
Maggie Throup MP said:
“This site has been a hub of activity in the community for over 100 years, first as a goods yard for the Great Northern Railway, and latterly as Gardner Aerospace, which employed hundreds of local people. I am therefore delighted that emh group and its partners will be investing over £11million in building 85 new affordable homes on the site and giving it a new lease of life for the twenty-first century.”
Chan Kataria said:
“Our partnerships with Erewash Borough Council and Westleigh Partnerships are some of our most successful, and continue to go from strength to strength. We are delighted that we are able to help meet the housing needs of the people in the borough in pursuing our mission to deliver the right homes in the right places.”
Councillor Gerri Hickton, Erewash Borough Council Lead Member for Community Engagement, said:
“We really welcome this scheme, which will improve the area and provide homes for families, for single people, for older people, and for residents with disabilities. It is another great example of our close partnership working with emh group to provide homes that meet the needs of our communities.”
Dan Gooch, Partnerships and Investment Manager for Westleigh Partnerships, added:
“We are pleased to be playing our part in delivering these affordable homes for the benefit of the community in Ilkeston. We would like to thank our partners at both emh group and Erewash Borough Council for helping us to make the scheme a success.”
The first shared ownership homes are due to be completed by December 2018, and will be marketed by Hello Homes, the sales and marketing arm of emh group. The second and final phase will be completed by February 2020.