Once a field for grazing horses, Arthur Close in Pamber Heath is now home to 12 local people and their families.
These affordable and sustainable houses, developed in partnership with rural housing specialist Hastoe, were opened by Parish Council Chair, Councillor Chris Goss, on Friday 24th September. The event marks the end of a 12 year journey, as Chris Goss explains:
Along the way we have had difficulties with proving local demand, identifying suitable sites, obtaining planning permission, negotiating with landowners, attempting to assuage local residents’ concerns and even dealing with the fall-out of the Covid 19 pandemic. Eventually, thanks to the sterling efforts of Hastoe Housing Association and W. Stirland builders, the 12 units are now occupied by tenants with a local connection. The Council would like to thank all those who supported their efforts to provide this development”.
Councillor Chris Goss( front & centre) cuts the ribbon at Arthur Close, Pamber Heath with residents and representatives from Hastoe, Hampshire Homes Hub, Homes England, W Stirland Ltd & MH Architects.
With local prices in Pamber Heath having risen by 42% over the past ten years (Zoopla, 2021), these homes have come just in time for some local residents who otherwise may have been forced to consider moving away from their jobs and families.
The close has been named after Arthur Pearce, a solider from Pamber who was killed in WW1. And the homes there have been prioritised for local people, including those living in, working in or having close family in Pamber. The homes will be prioritised for those with a connection to the parish in perpetuity. Bhupinder Gosal, Senior Manager Affordable Housing Grant at Homes England commented:
Despite the current challenges affecting the country, accelerating housebuilding remains Homes England number one priority. We are committed to supporting Hastoe, and our investment through the affordable housing grant means they can continue building new, affordable homes for local people. We're delighted that our funding enabled Hastoe to deliver much needed new homes in Pamber Heath."
The homes have been designed and developed in sizes and tenures to meet the needs of local people and families. Seven of the homes have been made available for affordable rent and five are for shared ownership. They include mix of 2- 3 bedroom houses, and four 1 bedroom flats.
Affordable homes at Arthur Close in Pamber Heath.
The new homes were developed in collaboration with a number of local partners, including architects MH Architects, contractors W.Stirland, and employer’s agent McCreith Construction Consultancy. The partnership was also supported by Mags Wylie, the Senior Rural Housing Enabler at Hampshire Homes Hub, who started working with Pamber Parish Council in 2009.
Each house has been built to a high sustainability standard with mechanical ventilation and heat recovery systems, which help to keep homes warm while keeping fuel bills low. This is a key approach in Hastoe’s commitment towards building net zero carbon housing by 2050.
It’s fantastic to be able to celebrate the completion of another much needed affordable housing scheme. Local people will benefit in perpetuity and the high sustainability standard means that our residents will stay warm and comfortable in their homes, despite ever increasing fuel costs. Our partnership approach is set out in our Hastoe New Build standard and we are looking forward to developing more rural affordable housing schemes in the future.”
