Planning permission granted for Gateshead estate.
Gateshead Council has granted planning permission for nearly 150 new homes to be built at the borough’s Kibblesworth estate.
Keelman Homes – a subsidiary of The Gateshead Housing Company – will build the majority of the homes, with overall site constructor Keepmoat.
The estate’s prefabricated ‘Airey’ properties are due to be demolished this year.
The Airey homes were built in the 1940s as a short-term measure and the cost to bring them up to the Government’s Decent Homes Standard would have been excessive.
Keelman Homes will now replace these existing properties with new homes to create a more sustainable estate.
The scheme, which is also supported by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Gateshead Council, will create 81 new affordable homes to rent, plus 54 additional homes for sale.
In addition, 13 homes will be offered for ‘intermediate rent’ – a unique and flexible way for first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder.
Keelman Homes has appointed construction firm Keepmoat to redevelop the 11.4 acre site at the Kibblesworth estate.
Councillor Angela Armstrong, Gateshead Council’s Cabinet member for Housing, said: “Local councils like us have struggled for many years to match people’s housing needs with the ever-reducing supply of social housing, especially for older people who have very specific housing needs.
“So being awarded the funding – and now the permission – to build new homes for local people is excellent news.
“We have been given the chance to replace poor quality post-war houses with new homes that will be some of the most modern and energy-efficient in the borough. These new homes will be in great demand.”
“This will provide a real long-term boost for Gateshead,” said Pat Ritchie, regional director of the HCA. “With a much wider range of different types of home on offer, we can make it easier for families to find a quality home to meet their needs within Kibblesworth.
“This development will be built to a higher standard than is required by building regulations, meaning high quality, energy efficient homes for local people.”
The Gateshead Housing Company’s Chief Executive, Bill Fullen, said: “Now that we have been granted planning permission, we can move forward with our plans to bring new affordable homes to Gateshead.”
The £15m Kibblesworth scheme is one of a number of major projects in Gateshead to be supported by the government’s Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), which has allocated over £12m to the borough over the past year.
Gateshead Council has contributed the land and additional financial support to enable this scheme to go ahead.
Information events for Kibblesworth residents will be held in the near future and it is hoped that work will begin on site in March.
[ssba]