Countryside Properties : RESIDENTS MOVE INTO FIRST AFFORDABLE HOMES AT ATELIER DEVELOPMENT IN HARLOW

23/10/2017

The first affordable homes for rent completed at the Atelier development in Harlow, Essex have been handed over to residents.

The £71m regeneration of the The Briars, Copshall Close and Aylets Field (BCA) estates is a joint partnership between Countryside, one of the UK's leading home builders specialising in placemaking and urban regeneration, Home Group, a national provider of homes for sale and affordable rent and Harlow Council. This project will provide a total of 343 new homes, comprising 143 private sale homes, 165 affordable homes for rent and 35 shared ownership homes, across three phases.

By the end of Phase 1 in March 2018, Countryside, Home Group and Harlow Council will provide 53 affordable homes at Atelier, with a further 98 affordable homes completed by the end of 2019 and the remaining 49 in spring 2020.

Some of the affordable homes will go to Council tenants who want to move back onto the estate. All other affordable homes for rent will be allocated to local people on the Harlow Housing Needs Register.

The first homes to be allocated are a mixture of 3 and 2-bed houses and 2 and 1-bed flats.

The multi-million pound redevelopment also provides new green spaces, new landscaping, roads, parking, improved cycle and pedestrian routes, a new community centre, as well as training opportunities during the construction process for local people.

Robert Wilkinson, Managing Director at Countryside Partnerships South, said: 'It is fantastic to be able to build on our success by welcoming the first residents of first affordable homes at this major regeneration scheme. Atelier is a great example of how we can provide modern, well-designed affordable homes for local people and help ease housing supply in Harlow.'

Will Gardner, Director of Development, Home Group, said: 'As one of the UK's largest providers of homes for sale and affordable rent, we have a proven reputation for working with partners on large-scale regeneration schemes. Working as joint developer with Countryside and Harlow Council, we are pleased that the first set of these affordable, energy-efficient and attractive homes are being handed over to local residents so swiftly.'

Councillor Mark Wilkinson, Harlow Council's Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: 'I am very proud to see local homes going to local families on Harlow's housing needs register. This project not only provides much-needed affordable homes but it will change those families' lives for the better and provide them with new opportunities in a new community. The first handover of modern affordable homes at Atelier highlights our commitment to regenerate Harlow and provide new housing opportunities for local people in our town.'