Newquay, Cornwall – On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, Coastline Housing, a local landlord, proudly announced the completion of its largest affordable housing development at Quintrell Downs. The grand opening was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, led by the Mayor of Newquay, Councillor Drew Creek, and new residents Doug and Judy Hodges.
The development, which encompasses 140 homes, offers a mix of affordable rent properties, shared ownership homes, rent to buy, and open market homes. It also includes 28 flats for Older Persons, with easy access lifts and communal facilities.
“We are delighted to see Quintrell Downs completed, as it’s been Coastline’s largest project to date. Given the size of the scheme, it has been completed in phases so that new residents could move in along the way. We are now moving people into the final rental properties and have reserved all the shared ownership homes. We hope the new community settling in here will be very happy,” said Chris Weston, Director of Development and Commercial Services.
The development was made possible thanks to funding from Homes England and support from Cornwall Council, alongside investment from Coastline itself.
This milestone occasion coincides with Coastline Housing’s ranking as the 4th fastest-growing housing association in the country, according to a national list published by Inside Housing magazine. This marks the 7th year in a row that Coastline has appeared in the top ten list, which ranks housing associations based on the number of new homes built as a percentage of their current stock. This year, Coastline moved up three places to 4th in the rankings, with 191 new homes built in the last financial year, bringing their total stock in ownership or management up to 5,223.
“The housing crisis in Cornwall continues to be an ever more real and serious issue for everyone, so we are delighted that we’ve been recognized for bringing these homes to the county, and we are determined to bring many more. At times over the past year, we’ve faced many challenges with house building, as have others in the sector. Supply chain issues, contractors entering administration, and difficult weather periods have all meant a tough year for the industry. So it’s a testament to the many great partners, communities, and organizations that we work with that we managed to complete as many homes as we did,” said Steve Harrison, Chair of Coastline Housing.
Looking ahead to 2024 and 2025, Coastline Housing has plans to continue developing even more affordable rented and shared ownership properties in various areas across Cornwall. The landlord has also joined forces with other professionals and businesses as part of the Homes for Cornwall movement, an initiative aimed at finding innovative solutions to solve the housing crisis for future generations.
“We are fortunate to operate in an area where the local authority and many local communities are supportive of new affordable housing. We have also been supported with Homes England and Cornwall Council grants and loan finance from the Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme, as well as other supportive lenders. Investment in homes means, at the end of the day, an investment in local communities and Cornwall as a whole. The economic impact it generates is significant and goes far beyond just Coastline,” commented Nathan Mallows, Director of Finance, People and Change.
Louise Beard, Deputy CEO of Coastline, added, “We are looking forward to engaging with customers in our new homes, building strong communities, and listening and responding to feedback on the services we provide and how we can continue to develop in the future.”
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