Trio of Dorset housing developments launch
New housing developments at three different locations across Dorset, providing almost 50 affordable homes and homes for first time buyers, have been launched.
The sites in both East and South Dorset will collectively provide 19 homes for first time buyers and key workers in Verwood, nine affordable homes in Portland, as part of a Community Land Trust (CLT) project, and 18 social rent flats in Weymouth.
Dorset Council helped to develop these schemes with several partnerships to support home ownership and affordable homes for local people.
In Verwood, the council worked alongside Pennyfarthing Homes, which is the first housebuilder to provide first homes in the Dorset Council area.
The homes are sold at 30% of their full market value, with the discount being passed on to future buyers when the property is sold on again.
In Portland, Dorset Council provided a Community Housing grant for the first Community Land Trust scheme in the area. Middlemarch Community led Housing, supported Portland CLT with East Borough Housing Trust (part of the Aster Group) managing the development, which was built by Koori Limited, who also provided the land.
For the Weymouth scheme, Dorset Council worked with the housing association, Sovereign Network Group, (SNG) and the developer Acheson, to provide social rent homes on a redeveloped brownfield site in the town.
Cllr Gill Taylor said: “These schemes represent what can be achieved and what we would like to replicate on a larger scale so more local residents can access affordable housing.
“All of these developments bring something unique to these areas, providing homes and security for people who live and work in these communities.”