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The return of the council house
WEALDEN District Council, based in one of the most expensive areas in the South East, has announced it will begin building its own council houses again to provide a greater mix of housing in a district where the average house price is just under £290,000. In what Councillor Graham Wells describes as, ”a golden opportunity”, 64 new council homes will be built in the District as part of Wealden’s New-Build Housing Project, costing £9 billion in total. The new homes will be spread across three sites at Forest
Row, Polegate and Crowborough, to help ease demand for affordable homes – there are currently over 2,000 people on Wealden’s housing register. Expected to be ready by 2014, Councillor Wells admitted that the new homes had ‘affordable’ rents, “higher than the current social rent for the 3,100 properties the Council owns, but less than current market rents,” in line with government policy on housing. In some cases this will mean rents per month are almost doubled. For example, a one- bedroom flat at the Forest Row site will cost £450 a month,
Property of the month Ashdown House Tunbridge Wells: £2,800,000
IF YOU’RE TIRED of the bustle of urban life but don’t want to commit to a rural area, look no further than this beautiful townhouse, which mixes the benefits of a quiet setting with easy access to Tunbridge Wells’ social and shopping opportunities. With this sort of price tag, property cognescenti won’t be surprised to hear it’s in Hungershall Park, one of the town’s premier areas. So what’ll you get for your £2.8 million, besides an exclusive address? You can relax in almost an acre of garden that looks out onto unspoiled fields, enjoy an evening G&T on the terrace (perfect for summer parties) or perhaps mosey on down to the orchard to collect the first of
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Councillor Graham Wells, cabinet member for affordable housing in Wealden
whereas older social rents were at £290.
The new developments will offer a range of one- and two- bedroom flats, and two- and three-bedroom houses, rather than the outdated bedsits currently on offer, with funding coming mainly from surplus revenues from current Council property, as well as government grants and borrowing. For the past 20 years, most social housing in the region has
been built by commercial housing associations, so for Wealden to change tack is a sign of the troubles currently facing the housing market,with increasing numbers of people made homeless by economic problems. Most other Councils in the South East, such as Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, continue to work with housing associations to provide cheap housing, rather than providing council homes direct.
Alfie van den Bos takes a look at two different ends of the housing spectrum…
i
September’s windfalls… Inside, you can frolic your way through 30 rooms (including eight bedrooms and downstairs accommodation that would be ideal for visitors – or staff) spread across four floors, while appreciating all the period features you’d expect of an 1862 property of this calibre: marble fireplaces, high ceilings, sash and arched windows - the kitchen even boasts an Aga. And for our money,
it’s this sort of feature that embodies the charm of Ashdown House: though it’s undeniably grand, it’s currently very clearly a family-as-opposed-to-flash house. Fingers crossed whoever buys it will be keen to see its relaxed loveliness preserved, albeit while putting their own stamp on the place.
For more information call Savills Tunbridge Wells on 01892 507000
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The INDEX magazine september 2011
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