Riverside - Riverside helps County Durham housebuilders back on site

19 February 2010

Housing Minister John Healey met Riverside bosses and workers on site building 80 new homes in Bowburn, Co. Durham this week.

Mr Healey was at The Grange development in Bowburn, where builders have been getting back to work, thanks to the Government’s Kickstart programme. The development had been mothballed due to market conditions and would likely have remained so without government and investor help. Thanks to almost £3.3 million cash to kickstart building work, a total of 80 new homes will be built, 39 of which will be family homes for affordable rent through Riverside, and a further 10 will be available through Homebuy Direct. Riverside has invested £2.3million into the project – one of its many new developments planned for the North East.

Investment in the site has meant the creation or safeguarding of over 50 jobs. The developers Esh Group also told Mr Healey of their plans to give at least four young people the chance of a career through their apprenticeship scheme.

Housing Minister John Healey said: “The power of government investment has meant construction workers back on site building much needed homes. This Kickstart cash will mean the safeguarding, or creation of 50 local jobs and will also give young people the opportunity of a career, thanks to the apprenticeship schemes on offer.

“The diggers we have on site now, would not be here without government funding, commitment from Dunelm Homes, and support from the Council, Riverside and the Durham Aged Mineworkers Homes, and I look forward to seeing them build on this success.”

Riverside assistant director Julie Gray joined Mr Healey at the Bowburn site together with Pat Ritchie, regional director of the Homes and Communities Agency and David Halfacre, Chairman of the developers Dunelm Property Services.

Julie added: “This development is one of many that we are investing in over the next couple of years, to provide more affordable housing for the North East and beyond.”

Riverside has ploughed around £40 million into providing 400 new homes in the last couple of years, including sites in Catterick, North Yorkshire, Newcastle, Northumberland and Hull.