5 NOVEMBER 2007
FIRST TENANTS MOVE INTO AFFORDABLE HOMES IN WELLINGBOROUGH

The first tenants have moved into new homes in Wellingborough developed by housing consortium Quantum.

Peter and Syliva Tilley, 84 and 80 respectively, have moved to Firtree Terrace after Peter had a stroke that restricted his movement on his right side.

Their previous home, also in Wellingborough, had stairs that made life difficult for Peter, who fought in the Second World War and has a Burma Star, but now the couple are happy in their new two-bedroom ground floor flat.

Mrs Tilley said: “It's much better here. It's very nice. It is very conveniently placed for the town centre as well. It feels like home already.”

Firtree Terrace is made up of new homes for shared ownership and to rent were developed in partnership between East Midlands Housing on behalf of Quantum and the Borough Council of Wellingborough.

Close to the town centre in Northampton Road, Wellingborough, the £2.2million Firtree Terrace development is on the site of the former Fir Tree Hotel. It was specifically designed to meet a need for mixed tenure housing in the town.

East Midlands Housing developed the 23-home project in partnership with local Northampton based company Augusta Developments Limited. Augusta initially identified the site and put together the residential scheme with EMH and then built the homes.

There are 12 two bedroom and three one bedroom flats for rent, and eight two bedroom flats for shared ownership through the government's HomeBuy initiative.

The Firtree Terrace development was partly financed by a Housing Corporation grant of £1.1m, and £1.1m of private finance from East Midlands Housing. The council strongly supported the bid for Housing Corporation grant, to help meet housing needs in the town.

Jim Patman, Director of Development at East Midlands Housing, said:

“This scheme is the result of a strong partnership between Quantum and the Borough Council of Wellingborough.

“It's great to see the first tenants moving into their new homes and to know Quantum is meeting a real need in Wellingborough. I hope Mr and Mrs Tilley are very happy in their new home.”

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