New £4.9m affordable housing scheme welcomes new residents

Whitburn Towers has 36 apartments for affordable rent, 32 within a three-storey block, with another four in a separate two-storey annex.

The project provides independent living to over-55s in the borough, replacing a previous sheltered accommodation facility that had been demolished.

The Croftside Housing Plus complex in Whitburn, along with Martin Hall and Nolan Hall in Jarrow, were knocked down by South Tyneside Council in 2017 after it was decided they were too expensive to renovate.

Chris Price, regional director for builders Tolent, said at the opening ceremony for Whitburn Towers: “Being here today and seeing the transformation that’s happened on site is extremely rewarding for us all.

“The improvement in the quality of the homes Whitburn Towers now offers, when compared to the previous scheme, is second-to-none. It’s been a pleasure to work with all the partners on this scheme.”

The other partners in the scheme are South Tyneside Homes and Homes England.

Peter Davidson, chair of South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust, said: “On behalf of the board at South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust, I would like to thank and acknowledge the tremendous work delivered by the team at Tolent in the completion of Whitburn Towers. We are delighted with the outcome.

“It’s an amazing development that also demonstrates great collaboration from our partners at South Tyneside Council and South Tyneside Homes.”

South Tyneside Council’s lead member for Housing and Transport, Cllr Mark Walsh, said: “The borough has an ageing population and creating this kind of modern, quality accommodation that allows older people to live independently for longer is a key priority for the council.

“The former sheltered accommodation block was outdated and not fit for purpose and the transformation here has been fantastic; these attractive new apartments provide a real boost to the area.”

South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust was established in 2013 to build affordable housing for rent. The not-for-profit company has 435 properties already built or in the pipeline.

For more information, visit www.housingventurestrust.co.uk

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