Former school transformed into much needed homes
Marking the final stage of the transformation of the former Needham Market Middle School, Cllr Lavinia Hadingham cabinet member for housing was on hand to receive the keys to 41 new affordable homes.
The former Victorian school building has been converted into a new library for the community while the rest of the site used to offer the 41 new homes.
Council leader Cllr Suzie Morley was also amongst those receiving the keys to the new homes – a mix of two and three-bedroom properties that will be used as affordable rent, social rent and shared ownership properties.
The development delivered by Mid Suffolk District Council was supported by funding of £1,420,000 from Homes England through the Affordable Homes Programme.
Councillor Lavinia Hadingham Mid Suffolk District Council’s cabinet member for housing said:
“It is great to see the amazing transformation of this site purchased by the council to provide more homes in our district. The provision of good quality housing with a range of housing options is vital for the sustainability of our communities.
“The completion of this multi-million-pound development is a great investment in the town adding new homes, a wonderful community facility and a boost for the local economy”.
The homes have been built by Gipping Construction Ltd and designed by property and construction consultancy Ingleton Wood with a fabric first approach– ensuring each home is built with additional insulation, larger rooms, gardens and off-street parking.
Andy Laflin – Joint Managing Director, Gipping Construction, said:
“We are extremely proud to be Principal Contractor on what is a fantastic development.
“Our involvement is made even more special as we are based just two miles away and our supply chain are also locally based so we all take a great deal of satisfaction constructing quality new homes and a refurbished library which will hopefully be enjoyed by the community that we operate in.
“It has been a joy to be involved in the project.”
Andrew Collett, Director of Architecture at Ingleton Wood, said:
“We are delighted to have worked on this fantastic redevelopment, using our extensive residential sector experience to support the project from inception through to completion.
“Our team worked closely with Mid Suffolk District Council to provide architectural and planning services. This included the creation of initial designs, managing construction plans, and tracking applications for both the residential site and library facility. It is fantastic to deliver these much-needed, affordable homes to this growing community, along with the new library which will benefit them for many years to come.”