Southwold, Suffolk

Number of homes:  9

• 4 for rent
• 5 for shared ownership to help first-time buyers onto the housing ladder

All nine homes are prioritised for people with a local connection to Southwold such as those working in the town, those with close family in the area, or those who previously lived there but had to move out because of a lack of affordable housing.

Work started on site: 28 March 2019

Completed: June 2021

Funders

• Hastoe:  £2,351,922
• Community Housing Fund:  £380,000
• Homes England grant:  £387,500
• SouthGen:  £1,200,000

Development partners

• Local authority:  East Suffolk
• Charitable community benefit society:  SouthGen
• Architect:  Wellington & Modece Architects
• Contractor:  Wellington Construction Ltd
• Employer’s Agent:  Potter Raper

Southwold’s iconic cottage hospital was built and funded by local people almost 120 years ago. As a listed building, great care was taken during the works to restore as many of the original features as possible, with the Edwardian façade returned to its former glory.

The development includes a creative community hub for local people to enjoy, breathing new life into the area by providing a new home for the town’s library, a nursery, space for local businesses, and a farm-to-fork café.