Raven Housing Trust opens Olivier Crescent and community fun day

The Chairman of Mole Valley District Council Cllr Derrick Burt formerly opened 20 new affordable apartments for local people built by Raven Housing Trust on the Goodwyns Estate, Dorking on Tuesday 26 August. The new homes were named after Sir Lawrence Olivier, who was born in Dorking.

The new apartments, which adjoin the two tower blocks on the Goodwyns Estate, have been built to a high eco-standard on a former garage site, previously owned by Mole Valley District Council. Fourteen of the new homes 12 x 2-bedroom and 2 x 1-bedroom apartments - have been let to local families on lower incomes. Six 2-bedroom apartments will be sold to local people on a shared ownership basis.

Residents in the existing tower blocks have benefited from 34 additional parking spaces and improved the landscaping provided by Raven.

Funding for the new homes came from Redhill-based Raven Housing Trust and the Housing Corporation.

The new homes have a wide range of environmental features including:
 

• solar panels to heat 70% of the hot water for each flat;
• a heat recovery ventilation system that exchanges hot air from the kitchen and bathroom with fresh air from outside to distribute to the living room and bedrooms and 25% more insulation leading to lower energy bills.
• sound insulation
• showers and dual flush toilets to reduce water consumption

A community fun day for local families was held after the opening ceremony with face painting, art and street dance workshops, a childrens entertainer and refreshments. The residents tucked into a large Olivier Crescent cake.

Raven Housing Trust Chief Executive Nicholas Harris said: Olivier Crescent is an excellent example of we are able to provide much needed new affordable homes for local people on an underused area of land. These are the first new homes weve built in Mole Valley and we hope we will be able to build more in the future. The fun day was a great opportunity for the residents of the Goodwyns estate celebrate the new opening of the new homes and estate improvements.

Housing Corporation Director for the South East, Fiona Cruickshank, said: I am pleased that Housing Corporation funding of over £1 million is helping to provide 20 much needed homes for rent or shared ownership for local people in the Dorking area. This scheme is a good example of a new housing development contributing to the regeneration of an area. With the involvement of local residents and others in the design of the homes, and with improvements to the surrounding landscape, this should contribute both to the improvement of the estate and improving the lives of those who will live there.

Ends

Photo: Cllr Derrick Burt, Chairman of Mole Valley District Council, Cllr Jean Pearson Leader of Mole Valley District Council - and Chairman of Raven Housing Trust Mark Bennett cut the large cake of Olivier Crescent.

Notes to Editors
Raven Housing Trust
Raven Housing Trust, east Surreys leading registered social landlord, aims to provide affordable homes and improve the communities where residents live. Raven manages more than 5,900 homes ranging from studio flats to 5 bedroom houses, sheltered accommodation for the elderly and affordable homes for key workers. It has an ambitious development programme to build more than 750 new homes over the next five years.

Raven Housing Trust - for more information contact: Sharon McIntyre, PR Dept, on 01737 272417 email sharon.mcintyre@ravenht.org.uk

Housing Corporation
1 The Housing Corporation is the Governments national affordable homes agency, responsible for investing in new affordable homes and regulating nearly 2,000 housing associations across England.

2 The Housing Corporation is working with English Partnerships, the Academy of Sustainable Communities and the Department for Communities and Local Government to establish the two new bodies, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), which are due to launch this December.

Housing Corporation media contact: Mary Corazzo on 020 8253 1415 or email: Mary.Corazzo@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk