We are delighted to have reached this point at last. As you know it’s been a long time coming; we hit the problems of Covid and the financial crisis of the last two years at just the wrong time and it has taken a lot of work to secure the extra funding required for the project to go ahead.
We are particularly delighted and relieved because we know of many other CLT’s whose schemes have floundered since the start of Covid due to the challenges of achieving planning consent and financial viability.
But after over 7 years, MCLT, Brighter Places and the owners of Garston Farm have signed the land transfer agreement for our new affordable housing development. MCLT now owns the site and has immediately leased it to Brighter Places who will build and manage the houses on a long-term lease. At the same time Brighter Places has also signed a contract with Winsley-White Building Contractors & Developers Ltd to build 15 new homes, 10 for social rent and 5 for shared ownership. See the Brighter Places press release.
Winsley White will now begin work on the necessary detailed plans and hopes to start work on site in April. The scheme will take around 14 months to build. The construction work will include access from the A420, the connection to Marshfield sewerage system and the creation of a new footpath from the development into the village.
All the homes are designed to provide sustainable living, with the affordable homes built to Pasivhaus standards which will provide high levels of insulation and low energy consumption using the latest Air Source Heat Pumps.
All the affordable homes are for people with a local connection to Marshfield and will take account of the housing need of applicants. Local connection will be assessed in relation to whether people have previously or currently live in Marshfield and if so for how long, whether people are employed in Marshfield and for what length of time and whether people have strong family links with someone who has lived in Marshfield for a few years.
Those details will be set out in a local letting policy which will be made available when the early stages of the build are underway, and the assessment and allocation process will start approximately 6 months before the completion of the project.
It is very important for anyone interested in renting one of these houses, to register as soon as possible with South Gloucestershire Council HomeChoice so that they can be seen to have a housing need at https://homechoice.southglos.gov.uk/. They will then be ready to apply through HomeChoice for one of the MCLT affordable homes when they are advertised on the HomeChoice website. Those interested in the shared ownership homes should register with Brighter Places first via their website https://bphomes.co.uk/ .
Brighter Places will host an open day when building starts on site for people to come and find out more information on the properties and how to apply for one and this will be well advertised.
When the scheme is finished and occupied it will stand as a major achievement, demonstrating that local people, with community support and political backing, can get together and succeed in providing for their own housing needs.
We would not have reached this point without support from South Gloucestershire Council, Homes England, Marshfield Parish Council, our members, Marshfield community, our architect Reed Watts who gave us a barn-like design that suits the area and from our partner Brighter Places who have never given up in spite of endless obstacles. We have all kept going because we know there is a real need in Marshfield for affordable homes for local people. Thank you to everyone for support over the long period of time that it has taken to get to this point.
MCLT Board: Christine Eden, Oliver Shirley, Simon Turner, Jim Brookes, Ian Dawes, Ian Jones, Ros Snow, Vicky Williams