New affordable homes will ‘rejuvenate Werrington Centre’

Roger Thompson, combined authority housing director, Howard Bright from Medesham Homes, Cllr John Holdich, Mayor James Palmer, Michael Heekin, Cross Keys Homes executive director of finance, and city councillor Steve Allen at the Crowland Road site

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority yesterday approved £6.1 million of funding for 146 new affordable homes, of which more than half will be on a brownfield site next to the Werrington Centre.

The other 33 homes are in Drake Avenue, Hempsted, and 25 homes on land at Crowland Road in Eye Green.

All the homes will be offered for affordable rent.

Speaking after the meeting, Peterborough city councillor David Over, who lives in Werrington, said: “Werrington has a large number of young adults who are looing for homes to start families in or just settle in the area.

“There are also a number of older residents who want smaller properties so they can downsize, thereby freeing up larger houses for others to buy.

“I also think that Werrington needs a bit of a makeover - it’s suffered over the years and this new development will rejuvenate the shopping centre. It’s also next door to a doctor, a dentist and a primary and secondary school.

“There are also good transport connections to this part of Peterborough. This is a really good development that will solve problems on lots of levels.”

A planning application for the homes will be submitted in the hope a decision will be made in November.

At Drake Avenue, Cross Keys Homes is planning to use the grant of around £1.4 million to convert an existing plan for the market sale of 15 dwellings – with no affordable component - into 33 two bedroom apartments for affordable rent by August 2021.

With the grant of £875,000, Medesham Homes LLP will convert 25 homes, which had been planned for market sale, to 25 affordable rent homes at Crowland Road. The scheme already has planning permission and completion is expected by July 2020.