Significant progress is being made as work continues to turn old garages into affordable, high-quality homes.
The 52 garages on Falmouth Road, in North Shields, were no longer in use and as a result had become derelict, with reports of anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping in the area.
And now, following months of work from both the council and North Shields firm HUSK, which was appointed by the council to redevelop the site, eight two-bedroom bungalows and a one-bedroom bungalow are set to be completed in autumn.
The site has been developed using a method patented by HUSK, in which the garage roofs are removed, and the walls are retained. Pre-fabricated insulated timber framed walls are then erected with the elements of the home being created inside the void, including a kitchen, wet room, living and dining area. The design also incorporates a resident parking area and individual front gardens.
Designed with a low carbon footprint in line with the council’s commitment of working towards being carbon net zero by 2030. The homes will have several measures in place there that will save tenants money on their electric bills, including an insulated timber frame and roof, air source heat pump and solar panels.
The new homes will have an EPC rating of band A, and they will be compliant with Homes England and NDSS (National Described Space Standard) requirements, which dictate how much living space a home must have.
Elected Mayor Norma Redfearn said: “Residents have told us that building affordable homes is a priority, and as we are a council that listens and takes feedback from its residents – we have done just that.
“Demand for housing in North Tyneside has always been high. People want live in our borough because it is such a wonderful place to be.
“This innovative, high-quality development which will be a great addition to the local area. It has been delivered working alongside a local firm in North Shields, which makes me very proud.
“I am delighted with the progress so far and can’t wait to see the homes when they are completed in autumn.”
Councillor John Harrison, cabinet member with responsibility for Housing, said: “Back in February, we added an additional 1,000 homes to the affordable homes target we set ourselves in the Our North Tyneside Plan – the homes being built on Falmouth Road fit within this programme and are a symbol of the priorities in this plan.
“We have been able to take a brownfield site that had become a bit of an eyesore, and a target for anti-social behaviour, and have turned it into an attractive, climate-friendly area for local people to live.
“We will continue to look for opportunities like this – ensuring we are able to preserve North Tyneside’s green spaces while still creating high-quality housing.”
The £1.3m scheme is part of the council’s Affordable Homes Programme, which is a commitment by the Elected Mayor and Cabinet to deliver thousands of affordable homes for the borough. More than 1,900 homes have been completed in recent years and the council aims to create a further 3,100 homes alongside its partners by 2032.
Homes England Grant Funding has been obtained to help support the development.
The homes will be available to let through Tyne and Wear Homes.
ENDS