Affordable housing project comes to Upperthong, Kirklees 

A NEW era of affordable housing has come to the West Yorkshire village of Upperthong with the successful completion of a £2 million project.

New affordable homes at Upperthong, Holmfirth

Award winning Yorkshire building company Conroy Brook has delivered the 15 rent-to-buy homes for QSH, the social housing developers.

The scheme - one of just a handful of projects for first-time buyers in West Yorkshire - has been developed in partnership with QSH, Kirklees Council and Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing.

And Coun Naheed Mather, Kirklees Council Cabinet Member and portfolio holder for housing, was present to cut the ribbon and give the development an official launch.

She was joined for the ceremony by Christine Gummerson, Director of Neighbourhoods at KNH, Linda Spencer, Business Development Manager KNH and members of the Conroy Brook team, including CEO Richard Conroy.

Coun Mather commented: “The Upperthong development will provide much needed affordable homes for local people.

“It will enable people who dream of buying a home but perhaps need support to build a deposit and credit history to make those next steps to owning their own homes in an area in which they choose to live.”

Handover of affordable housing in Upperthong
Picture shows (left to right) KMH Business Development Manager Linda Spencer, Kevin Hancock of QSH, KNH Director of Neighbourhoods Christine Gummerson, Coun Naheed Mather, Conroy Brook CEO Richard Conroy, QSH Chief Executive Paul Hardisty, Quantity Surveyor Andrew Battye, Upperthong site manager Graham Barber and Gary Lister of Conroy Brook

The 15 rent-to-buy properties are made up of eight two bedroom homes and seven three bedroom cottages.

Under the innovative QSH rent-to-buy scheme, tenants will pay rents which are affordable.

The tenant also has the opportunity to purchase the property between the first and fifth year of living in their new home, with half of the tenant’s rental payments put towards the deposit they need to secure a mortgage to buy their home - up to a maximum of 10 per cent.

Priority has been given to local first time buyers who have to meet a strict series of criteria.

Those who choose not to purchase during this time can continue renting their homes for a further 15 years.

And work has now begun on the second phase of the site - Pennine Gardens - which will see Conroy Brook build 12 four bedroom detached homes, available for private sale.

“We are delighted that the first phase of development has reached its conclusion so successfully and, not surprisingly, demand for these properties is already very high, with a waiting list of people wanting to make Upperthong their home,” said Conroy Brook CEO Richard Conroy.

“Now we are delighted to have begun starting work on the second phase, creating high quality family housing, built to the usual Conroy Brook standards of excellence and featuring all the things that buyers expect of our homes, including German Karl Benz kitchens teamed with the latest Silestone worktops, while the bathrooms will be similarly luxurious featuring Swiss Laufen sanitary ware.”

The properties will also feature the latest 6E wiring which enables the discreet distribution of internet, entertainment (TV, satellite and music), computer and communication systems around the home.”

To find out more about the new homes at Pennine Gardens click here.