A new £4.6m development of homes for over-55s has been launched on the site of a former primary school in Dovecot.
A total of 46 new homes – a mix of one-and-two bedroom apartments and bungalows – will be built on the former location of Maidford Road Primary School, which merged with Colwell Primary in 2002 to form the new Blueberry Park School nearby.
The development, by social landlord Riverside, is being built by Prospect GB and in partnership with Liverpool City Council.
The Council gifted the land to Riverside as part of its Mayoral pledge to deliver more than 5,000 new homes in Liverpool by 2016.
The new homes will address need for high-quality affordable rented housing for older people in the area, as well as helping address the shortage of smaller properties needed in the light of the under- occupation penalty, also known as the ‘Bedroom Tax’.
The start-on-site event was attended by representatives from Riverside, Prospect GB, Liverpool City Council and the local community – and also involved a reunion for former pupils and staff of Maidford Road Primary!
As well as offering them a chance to catch up on old times, a special collection of memorabilia was put on show, celebrating the past of the site as it moves into its next phase.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Ann O’Byrne, said: “We continue to work closely with Riverside on a range of fantastic housing schemes – and this development is another great example of how we are bringing disused land back into use to provide high quality homes.
“The Maidford Road development will give a real boost to older residents, as well as providing much-needed smaller properties. It supports our wider plans to deliver a diverse mix of housing, which fully meets the needs of all our communities.”
Carol Matthews, Group Chief Executive of Riverside, said: “This new development is part of a wider programme of activity in the area which we’ve been involved with for a long time now, not only addressing a real need for this type of housing, but helping us achieve our aim of transforming people’s lives and revitalising neighbourhoods. It was wonderful to see so many people here today marking the occasion.”
Neil Waddington, Managing Director of Prospect GB, added: “We are delighted to be starting work on this fantastic new project, which will offer local people real choice in the kind of high-quality housing that they need.”
The Maidford Road development is expected to be completed by July 2015, and has received funding from the Homes and Communities Agency Affordable Homes Programme. The homes will be available to rent through www.propertypoolplus.org.uk, the Merseyside choice based lettings system.
Image: Cllr Ann O’Byrne (front row, second from right) joins Riverside and Prospect GB staff and the local community to celebrate the start
