New home is like 'winning the lottery'

RESIDENTS MOVING into new homes built by the council tomorrow, 10 November, have described the move as "winning the lottery".

Affordable homes in Cliffe Road, Market Weighton, are the first to be finished under an ambitious programme to build 331 similar properties throughout the East Riding. Local contractors are working on the £46.5m programme funded by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the Homes and Communities Agency, which has contributed £20.16m.

In a press statement issued by the East Riding Council, Terry and Karen Meanwell, 49 and 48 respectively, have been identified as the first residents to move in under the scheme and are moving from larger, unsuitable council property in Brough. Mrs Karen Meanwall said:

"I couldn’t have expected a property like this in a million years, I feel as though I’ve won the lottery."

Councillor Stephen Parnaby, OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, will meet the Meanwells outside their new home to give them their keys. He said:

“I am delighted to be able to hand over the first keys to some of the residents who are directly benefitting from this house-building project. The Meanwells are exactly the sort of people that we set out to help when we decided to start this programme. Local contractors have been boosted by the work to build these houses, but from today it is the turn of local residents to benefit as the first of these high-quality homes is ready. Because of the high standard these homes have been built to and their credentials when it comes to energy efficiency, they will be good for the environment and save the residents money.”

Rob Pearson, area manager for the Homes and Communities Agency said:

“This new bungalow is closer to their family and hope it is ideal for their needs. By enabling East Riding to build over 300 new homes we are helping to make sure that people can stay in the same communities as their families and in homes that they can afford.”

Residents like the Meanwells who are living in homes which are too large for them are being given the chance to trade them in for a more manageable property in a location which is right for them. This will free up their former homes for families which could benefit from larger properties.

Once the Meanwells move out of their home in Brough it will be refurbished and offered to a family which needs a property of this size.

Each of the new houses is being designed as a "life-time home" meaning it can be easily converted for people if they become less mobile as their lifestyle changes. Features which help with this include a good standards of ramps, corridors wide enough for wheelchairs, downstairs showers or the ability to install these easily and removable panels to allow floor platform lifts to be installed.