The Minister for Housing and Planning has been in Cornwall, visiting a new landmark development at Heartlands in Pool.
Local landlord Coastline Housing welcomed Gavin Barwell MP to view a development project of 90 new homes being built thanks to funding of £3.2 million from Cornwall Council and the Homes and Communities Agency.
The Minister saw for himself the first 20 homes being built nationally for the Government’s new Rent to Buy scheme. In addition, 54 homes will be built for affordable rent and 16 homes offered under a part-buy, part-rent scheme on the site.
Under the new Rent to Buy scheme, the Government offers low cost loans to landlords to build homes to be let at sub-market rent for a minimum of seven years to households who have never owned a home before.
The tenants can then use this fixed period of support to achieve their aspiration of home ownership, either by buying the home they are renting or another one.
Barwell, said: “This Government is determined to deliver the homes this country desperately needs.
“It was great to see what Coastline Housing and Carillion igloo are doing at Heartlands with support from our Homes & Communities Agency delivering a mix of housing to meet the needs of the people of Cornwall”.
Allister Young, CEO at Coastline Housing, added: “We were delighted to host this visit and are proud to demonstrate the excellent innovative partnership working that goes on in Cornwall.”
The homes, due to be completed in Autumn 2017, are being built by Kier Living and are a mixture of flats and houses, ranging between one and three bedrooms. Part of the development will include a purpose-built older person’s scheme.
Coastline is also working closely with developer Carillion igloo on site. Carillion igloo will be delivering 56 homes in the UK’s first Custom Build project backed by the Homes and Communities Agency at Heartlands.