Our fantastic Brickfields House development has won the Community Impact Project of the Year prize at last week’s Cowgills North West Homebuilder Awards.
Building work on Brickfields House, in Ashton, has contributed significantly to the local economy by reducing worklessness and inspiring growth. All labour and suppliers for the £5.3 million scheme were based within five miles of the development. The firms involved were able to provide apprenticeships to young people, giving them long-term job prospects while helping to tackle local skills shortages.
This shows how building new homes benefits the whole community, not just the tenants who come to live in the new developments.
The new homes at Brickfields may also have contributed to helping tackle the housing crisis by freeing up bigger homes for families to live in, or people looking to start a family. This rightsizing approach ensures tenants have the right homes for their needs and improves the quality of life of all concerned.
Councillor McLaren, Tameside Council Deputy Leader for Growth, Housing and Homelessness, said:
“This is fantastic recognition for Brickfields, it was developed with the community at its heart and designed to meet the needs of older tenants helping them to live happily and independently and meeting their support needs. By working in partnership alongside GMCA and Homes England it was great that we were able to help Southway secure funding support to make this brilliant scheme possible. We need more housing projects like this one to help provide high-quality and affordable homes in Tameside improving the housing circumstances of those more in need for now and in the future.”
Jonathan Turner, Southway Housing Trust Assistant, Director of Development, said:
“We’re really proud to have won this award and I want to thank all our partners who helped create the scheme. Brickfields House is a classic example of regeneration. We’ve replaced the 1970s bedsits with a brand new development which enables residents over 55 to live independently in their own homes. Providing Age Friendly homes is really important to Southway and the homes were designed very closely with Tameside Council, based on feedback from local residents. We’re really proud of the scheme and thrilled it has been recognised in this way.”
Brickfields House was also shortlisted for the Larger Apartment Scheme at the same awards, making it a very proud night for Southway.
Deputy Prime Minister Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, whose constituency includes Ashton, came to the development last September and met tenants soon after they had moved in. You can watch a video from that day here.
