Accent Housing, a national developer and provider of affordable housing, along with development partner The Hill Group, recently celebrated the completion of 82 new affordable homes in Ramsey.
Mill View on St Mary’s Road is a community of 15 affordable rent, 27 social rent and 40 shared ownership homes. The new homes offer a selection of accommodation from maisonettes to four-bedroom houses. Work began on site in December 2020 and has been completed in phases, with the final homes being handed over at the end of October 2023.
An event was held last week to celebrate partnership working and the completion of the new homes. Representatives from Accent were joined by the Mayor of Ramsey Cllr Roger Brereton and alongside senior members from Ramsey Town Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, Homes England and Hill. Attendees enjoyed a tour of the new homes, met residents and officially opened the community with a ribbon-cutting and tree-planting ceremony.
Sarah Ireland, Executive Director of Strategy and Growth at Accent, said “Last week’s event was a wonderful celebration of the 82 beautiful new homes in Ramsey. Many of the homes for affordable rent are already occupied, with most being made available to those in the highest level of housing need from the council’s housing register. 98% of the shared ownership properties have been sold or reserved, and thirty-four families have moved into their new dream homes.
Homeownership is a dream for many, but rising mortgage rates along with the need for a substantial deposit often makes the path to traditional homeownership seem both daunting and impossible. Homemade Homes by Accent offer shared ownership to those wishing to take the first step onto the property ladder.”
New Accent homeowners Emma and Sam have recently moved into their three-bedroom home, having purchased a share of a Shared Ownership house. The 22-year-old couple said “Mill View was where we wanted to build our future. Finding the right path to homeownership is unique for everyone. It's essential not to overstretch and to find a balance that allows you to enjoy all life has to offer."
Sarah continues, “The homes are built to an extremely high standard and have all achieved an EPC B rating which will help our customers keep their energy bills as low as possible. Accent are pleased to have made a financial contribution to provide new moorings along the High Lode as part of the development, helping to maintain the canal and its use and enjoyment by the wider community.”
The homes were built by award-winning housebuilder Hill on behalf of Accent. The development has been supported by a grant allocation from the Shared Ownership and Affordable Housing Programme (SOAHP) from Homes England, the Government’s housing and regeneration agency. Accent are a Homes England Strategic Partner and currently have over 500 new affordable homes on site and under construction in the wider Cambridgeshire and Peterborough sub-region, delivered with the assistance of grant funding through this programme.
Simon Trice, Regional Director at The Hill Group, commented “We were delighted to celebrate the completion and final handover of 82 high-quality, sustainable new homes at Mill View in Ramsey with our development partner Accent Housing. We are committed to delivering much-needed, energy-efficient properties to support communities where there is a shortage of affordable homes available, and I hope all residents enjoy living at this exceptional development.”
Councillor Sam Wakeford, Executive Councillor for Jobs, Economy and Housing at Huntingdonshire District Council said: "Ramsey's new affordable housing development is a testament to our commitment to creating thriving communities in Huntingdonshire. By providing affordable housing options, we are not only giving families a place to call home, but also a chance to live and work across our vibrant district.”
