Robin Hood opens new £5 million housing scheme
25/07/2007
The folk hero, aka Ade Andrews, heritage ranger for Sherwood Forest Trust, was invited to the scheme by development partners East Midlands Housing, Mansfield District Council, Nottingham Community Housing Association and Westleigh Developments Ltd.
This regeneration scheme has seen run down and derelict properties in Blake Street and Sherwood Street transformed into a development of much needed affordable homes.
The state of the houses had attracted anti-social behaviour and made the area into an eyesore.
Chan Kataria, chief executive of EMH, added: “This is an excellent example of how partnership working can produce a development of affordable, mixed tenure homes.”
The council first outlined its plans for the area in 1999 as part of its Neighbourhood Renewal Area initiative. By 2001 around 30 of the 150 homes that were eventually demolished had been cleared. The last properties were not knocked down until earlier this year.
EMH will manage 22 homes on the site - 16 of which will be rented including four two bedroomed bungalows, two of which will be adapted for people in wheelchairs, five three bedroomed houses and seven two bedroomed houses. It also has three three bedroomed houses and three two bedroomed houses available through shared ownership.
All the properties are designed to Lifetime Homes Standards incorporate Secured by Design features including lockable rear gates, security chains and lockable fasteners on all windows.
They have also achieved a good Eco Home rating due to their energy efficiency and lower running costs.
The scheme is being part funded by a £1.5 million grant from the Housing Corporation.