Westward Housing Group

Saturday 27th June at Pottery Quay, Devonport, Plymouth

Residents invited partners Westcountry Housing, Guinness Hermitage and Plymouth City Council to their celebrations at Pottery Quay on Saturday to celebrate the fruition of the community centre and play area at the urban regeneration housing scheme.

Westcountry Housing, a member of Westward Housing Group, was delighted to scoop the award for ‘Best Social or Affordable Housing’ in the South West region at the 2009 LABC South West Building Excellence

Awards were held at Torquay on 13th February 2009.  The award went to architect Vic Maskell, of Narracotts, for his innovative design and local contractor, Coyde Construction, who completed the new homes to this outstandingly high standard during March 2007 to March 2008.

Our HomeBuy Agent, South West Homes, is celebrating with its latest happy customer, after helping its 1,000th buyer get onto the property ladder with a Government scheme which dramatically cuts the up-front cost of home purchase.

Andrew Kirkham, and Debbie Mitchell, (pictured with Debbie’s daughter, Beth 14 and son, Scott 12) were the 1,000th couple to receive the keys to their brand new home. Andrew said “I have two children and without the HomeBuy scheme, buying a house big enough for us all would have been impossible.”

Westcountry Housing’s latest affordable housing scheme has provided local people in desperate need of rented housing with 33 one and two bedroom apartments at Newport Street,Tiverton.

The land and vacant bingo hall formerly on the site were purchased by Westcountry for £830,000. Planning Permission was granted on appeal in 2005 and Mid Devon District Council funded £472,000 of the project (the largest funding they have ever offered for such a project).

South West Homes, managed in partnership by Westcountry Housing and Sovereign Housing Group, is the new, bigger and better HomeBuy agent for the entire South West region.  Providing all Government HomeBuy products for those interested in low cost home ownership.

Peter said: “I was attracted to this Westward role because I consider the provision of social housing to be a key driver in the wellbeing and success of any community. Westward particularly offers a solution which can provide financial strength to its individual housing association members at the same time as ensuring they maintain their local identity.”

Peter is a senior executive with a wealth of experience in the public and private sectors. He has worked in government, the MOD, business startups and grant acquisition.

One of his most recent pieces of significant work has been managing the establishment of the £30 million maritime museum in Falmouth where he was the first Chief Executive.