Baroness Andrews OBE commends Genesis' affordable housing scheme in Stevenage

Genesis Housing Group held a breakfast event at Silkin’s Field in Stevenage last week to celebrate the first anniversary of customers moving in to this much-needed affordable housing scheme in a prime central location.

Speakers at the event included Baroness Andrews OBE – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), Councillor Ann Webb – Executive Member for Housing and Health in Stevenage, Robert Clark, Managing Director of Durkan and Anu Vedi CBE - Group Chief Executive of Genesis Housing Group.

The site, a former British Aerospace sports ground, provides 198 affordable homes and is the largest in the ‘Challenge Fund 2’ programme, a joint initiative between Genesis Housing Group, English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation.

Silkin’s Field comprises a mix of 21 houses for general needs rent, 34 flats for general needs rent and 143 flats purchased through NewBuild HomeBuy’ (part-buy/part-rent), available exclusively for first-time buyers in the area.

The remaining 55 homes are occupied by tenants nominated by Stevenage Borough Council. The scheme attracted a huge amount of interest on the open day with prospective customers queuing to reserve a property from 5am for the 9am opening. Almost all properties were sold off-plan.

Mr Laverick, a customer who rents a house at Silkin’s Field, said “My wife and I are absolutely delighted here. We’ve got brilliant access to the town centre and the station, and there’s a large play area for the kids, which our 10-year-old son loves.

"It’s very safe here and we always know he’s nearby. It’s a lovely neighbourhood.”

Baroness Andrews OBE said: “This fantastic development is a prime example of how mixed developments can work in practice and how these communities can thrive.

"These homes are helping key workers, first-time buyers and local people gain a step on to the property ladder. It is credit to the co-ordinated approach that Genesis has taken.”

She continued: “The government has set a target to build three million new homes by 2020. This means house-building will need to increase to 240,000 a year by 2016 (175,000 were completed in 2007). There is a lot to achieve but it is developments like Silkin’s Field that are contributing significantly to this target.”

Anu Vedi, Group Chief Executive at Genesis, said: “We see this Silkin’s Field development as an excellent example of what can be delivered in a relatively short time, to a good standard, and in successful partnerships, where commitment exists all round.

"Genesis feels strongly that a range of clients should be provided for and that services should be shared in an integrated way. As a social investment business we prioritise our customers and the communities they live in.

"Our role in building homes and providing services sits alongside our purpose: to support our customers’ aspirations around their housing choices and around other parts of their life such as employment and training.”