BRAND new homes in Middlehaven have been built as part of an Urban Pioneers project by North Star Housing Group.
The Urban Pioneers project is a key element in the delivery of Middlesbrough’s regeneration framework for Middlehaven, delivered through a joint venture between Middlesbrough Council and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
The scheme is designed to attract entrepreneurial people to help create an exciting new urban quarter in Middlesbrough.
Local housing association North Star, along with contractor Gus Robinson Developments, built nine new two bedroom homes which sit alongside the Urban Park, at the heart of the Middlehaven site.
The new homes are live/work units which means not only do they offer affordable accommodation but they create the ideal environment for new enterprises to flourish.
Angela Lockwood, Chief Executive for North Star, said: “These innovative live/work homes are the first to be developed as part of the Urban Pioneers scheme – we really are pioneers here and we hope that it’s the start of an exciting new community.
“We’re excited to be able to deliver something new to the area; the homes provide a place for tenants to run and grow a business from home, or provide a place for residents to work comfortably from home.
“We’re dedicated to being so much more than a landlord, and the flexibility, versatility and support these new homes bring demonstrates this.
“As well as providing a great new live/work experience for tenants, the new Middlehaven development has great benefits for the wider local community.
“Not only does it bring a vacant site back to life, but it helps attract people to the area to utilise the local facilities and services.”
Councillor Charlie Rooney, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “Middlehaven is one of the key regeneration sites in the region, and a potent symbol of the confidence Middlesbrough has in its future.
“The Urban Pioneers live-work units offer affordable accommodation and an ideal environment for new enterprises to find their feet and flourish.
“This is just the latest stride forward in what is an exciting new chapter for the town, and I look forward to following the progress of the first entrepreneurs to move into the units.”
Stephen Bell, Managing Director of Gus Robinson Developments, said; “Gus Robinson Developments have worked in partnership on a number of new affordable housing projects with North Star, but it is fair to say that the Urban Pioneers scheme is by far the most exciting to date.
“The Gus Robinson team got involved in the scheme very early and assisted North Star through the design process to ensure the new homes met the high design standards required for the Middlehaven area.
“The eye-catching designs certainly do that! Combined with low running costs, the new homes offer local people the best opportunity possible to live and work in a vibrant community in affordable homes.”
For more information on North Star visit www.northstarhg.co.uk.