Affordable ‘green’ homes for Moreton-in-Marsh

A partnership between housing association Cottsway and Cotswold District Council will bring 15 new low-carbon homes to Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.
Following an exchange of contracts, the new development located at Davies Road, will be built by Helix Partnership Homes and will provide 15 homes for social rent, including a mix of one, two and three-bed properties.
Davies Road is due to be completed in 2024 and will include sustainable features such as air-source heat pumps and enhanced levels of insulation.

Richard Reynolds, Cottsway’s Acting Chief Executive, said: “At Cottsway we’re always striving to improve and come up with new solutions to help address housing need. This innovative partnership will be the first of its kind for Cottsway and the council to deliver not only affordable homes, but ones which have a range of sustainable features.
“Sustainability and reducing our environmental impact is a priority for us and we’re excited to be part of this project.”
The development has been made possible with the support of £1.275 million grant funding from Homes England and £580,500 developer funding secured in Section 106 contributions from Cotswold District Council, as well as a loan arrangement as part of a finance agreement between the council and Cottsway. Helix Group is also providing construction finance to ensure the homes can be completed quickly by May 2024.
Helen Bone, Senior Manager Growth at Homes England, said: “We are pleased to have been able to support Cottsway, Helix and Cotswold District Council to bring forward 15 new low-carbon social rent homes to Moreton-in-Marsh. The proposed homes demonstrate how we can work in partnership to deliver high-quality, sustainable affordable homes where they are needed. We look forward to continuing our work with communities and partners to achieve this.”
Councillor Lisa Spivery, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness at Cotswold District Council, said: “I’m delighted that our partnership with Homes England and Cottsway has been able to enhance this scheme. It will be the first green homes scheme of its type in the district. The Davies Road site was allocated for development in the Council’s Local Plan, and our officers worked hard to move the development from a standard, mixed market development to an ‘all affordable’ scheme with an extra grant from Homes England to take the sustainability standards a step further.
“In the face of a growing affordability crisis, we are committed to increasing the number of genuinely affordable homes across the district for local people. Working alongside providers such as Cottsway we can offer people affordable homes, not only at high quality, but that are also more sustainable than standard housing and ultimately better for the environment.”
Charlie Scherer, Director at Helix Partnership Homes, said: “We are incredibly pleased to be using our house building expertise to support Cottsway and the local authority to provide these low-carbon, affordable homes. Also, as a growing SME builder, we are very proud to have created this delivery structure with Homes England to help deliver its ambition to encourage more builders to rise to the challenge of building high-quality homes that meet local housing needs.”
Cottsway is West Oxfordshire’s largest housing provider but also has properties in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Wiltshire.
The homes for social rent will be advertised on the Homeseeker Plus website nearer to the time of completion: www.homeseekerplus.co.uk. All applicants will need to be registered with Cotswold District Council.
For more information about applying for a Cottsway home see www.cottsway.co.uk