Work completed on new affordable housing development in Shropshire village

Built in Mount Close, Pontesbury, they’re set to provide much-needed affordable housing for people with a local connection to the village. 

The development includes a mix of two and three-bedroom houses and one and two-bedroom bungalows, and a special event was held last month to celebrate the partnership working between S J Roberts Construction Ltd, Shropshire Council, Pontesbury Parish Council and Homes England that’s led to the successful completion of the new homes.        

Sarah Boden, Chief executive at Housing Plus Group, explained: “Last month’s event was a wonderful celebration of the 18 beautiful new homes in Pontesbury. 

“This development is great news for the village, as it offers a range of affordable housing options for people with roots in the Pontesbury area. 

“We had a fantastic time celebrating with our partners and look forward to welcoming the new residents to their homes.” 

Fourteen of the properties are for affordable rent, and four for shared ownership, a government scheme helping people get onto the property ladder. It means buyers will buy a percentage of the property, paying a mortgage on their share and rent on the remainder. 

SJ Roberts Construction Ltd was Housing Plus Group’s construction partner on the project and commenting at the launch event, Mike Sambrook, Managing Director, said: “Completing and handing over a development is always a time of great pride, especially when it’s for a long-standing partner like Housing Plus Group with whom we’ve built a strong working relationship over many years. 

“The properties at Mount Close are not only much-needed homes for the people of Pontesbury, they also boast solar PV panels and Air Source Heat Pumps, making them very cost-effective to run. I hope the residents will enjoy living here.” 

Housing Plus Group was awarded £1,000,000 in funding from Homes England for the project, a £200,000 grant from Shropshire Council and also had the backing of Pontesbury Parish Council. 

The development is built on a rural exception site, which allows land to be provided below market value for residential development – provided it is used to build affordable housing. 

Chair of Pontesbury Parish Council, Duncan Fletcher, said: “Pontesbury is a wonderful community to live in and this development is helping to keep local residents in the village they grew up in. 

“These well-designed homes at the heart of the village are the result of partnership working between Pontesbury Parish Council, Shropshire Council and Housing Plus Group.”