Sunderland city council has approved Gentoo’s plans for 110 new affordable homes to be built on the site of the former Fulwell Quarry.
The scheme, which has been given outline planning permission, marks the next stage of Gentoo’s regeneration in the north of the city.
A new residential community will now be created to meet the needs of a wide range of tenants and residents, with two, three and four-bedroom family homes all being built on the development, alongside both apartments and bungalows.
Read more: 7,000 Sunderland homes to benefit from major £39.4 million Gentoo investment
Existing green space will be kept as part of the development to maximise biodiversity, with a large area of landscaping and open space to be one of the site’s main features. A new footpath will be created through the development to connect to existing footpaths, to ensure residents are able to continue walking in the area. Bat and bird boxes, and flowering plants, will also be introduced to support wildlife.
Gentoo’s new affordable house types are described as modern and spacious, with raised ceilings and large windows to maximise natural light inside of the properties.
The house types are also highly energy efficient, with an energy performance certificate rating (EPC) of A. The properties have a range of features that reduce carbon by 70%, including no gas supply, air source heat pumps, solar panels, thermal battery storage, electric car charging points and full fill cavity wall insulation.
As a result, it is estimated that the running cost of Gentoo’s new affordable homes will be significantly reduced when compared to properties with traditional gas boilers. This is welcome news for new tenants given the current cost of living crisis and the huge expense households are facing to run their homes.
Most of the homes will be available for affordable rent, which is calculated at 20% less than market rents for the area. Tenants who move into the new homes on the site can expect rents to be between £96 and £147 per week depending on the size of the property.
Gentoo is also supporting local people who may want to get onto the property ladder by buying one the new properties. A proportion of new homes on the site will be made available for people to purchase, through low-cost homeownership schemes – shared ownership and rent to buy.
Development director at Gentoo Group, Joanne Gordon, said: “We are pleased our application has been approved. In partnership with Sunderland city council, Gentoo is committed to addressing the affordable homes shortage in Sunderland through the supply of new high quality and energy efficient housing.
“We are very proud of our new house type range and look forward to creating 110 opportunities for tenants to move into their dream new home.”
It is estimated the development will create around 143 jobs during the construction phase and generate over £18m of gross value to the city’s economy during the construction programme. Once it is complete, the scheme will provide homes that are affordable place to live for around 492 people.
These new homes are part of the Group’s planned £172m investment into delivering 1200 affordable homes across Sunderland over the next five years. More information about the development can be found on Gentoo’s website: https://www.gentoogroup.com/williamsonpark
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