A new £4.1m development of 36 new eco-friendly homes for rent was officially opened by the Mayor of Wirral Cllr Moira McLaughlin at Rice Lane and Springfield Place, off King Street, Wallasey today.
Residents and local school representatives joined members of Cosmopolitan Housing Association, Wirral Council and the Homes & Communities Agency, to witness the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.
Previously a street of terraced houses dating back to 1919, the site has been redeveloped by Cosmopolitan Housing Association and Lovell Partnerships Ltd to provide 36 new homes which include a mix of two, three and four bedroom bungalows and houses.
Each home has its own parking space and rear garden and is equipped with solar panels to provide hot water and state-of-the-art ‘smart meters’ to measure gas and electricity. Smart meters take readings automatically and provide accurate, up-to-the-minute information for residents on energy consumption, allowing them to monitor their energy use more efficiently. The properties also benefit from automatic meter reading water meters.
This means the entire development meets Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, the system for assessing properties’ environmental performance. They also meet the Lifetime Homes standard by providing accessible, adaptable accommodation and Secured by Design standards, through the incorporation of security measures into their design and construction.
Residents at the event were unanimous in their praise of the new homes, particularly the warmth of the accommodation. Debbie Pratt, aged 46, who lives on Springfield Place with her 6 year old daughter Emily, said:
“Everyone can’t believe how warm the homes are, they’re just lovely. I moved here from a two bed terrace in Birkenhead and I’m paying less than a third on my gas and electric compared to there. Even in weather like this you only need to put the heating on for about four hours a day and the house is lovely and toasty.”
“Emily loves it too” she added. “The rooms are much bigger and we’ve got a really nice garden at the back – when she first saw it she said it looked like a park! It’s lovely and quiet as well. I feel like I can give her a better life here.”
Speaking at the launch, Cosmopolitan Group Chief Executive John Denny, said:
“Developments like this one are the product of real partnerships. Partnerships with the residents are most worthwhile; the result here is based on talking to people and putting something on the ground that meets needs. We are delighted with the feedback from residents on Springfield Place and Rice Lane about the quality of this flagship development and how quickly they have settled in. This development delivers cutting edge eco-living at a very high standard on Merseyside.
“We have worked closely with partners such as Wirral Council and stakeholders, including residents, to ensure the success of this initiative, which is an important part of our wider development programme. We are delivering sustainable communities that signal our intent to continue to regenerate for the benefit of Merseyside and Cheshire and beyond. Our new Group is committed to develop and will deliver several thousand homes across the region over the next few years.”
Cllr George Davies, Wirral Council Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Safety, added:
“It is great to see a new scheme come to life in one of our former Housing Market Renewal areas, providing much-needed, high-quality, affordable, energy-efficient homes for Wirral residents, replacing the poor quality, older housing that was there before.”