News

Today marked the official opening of Fosters, an independent living scheme for older people in Woodley.

This scheme built by Wokingham Borough Council owned development company Wokingham Housing (WHL) forms a corner stone of the Council’s commitment to providing the very best living options for older people in the Borough.

The unveiling of Fosters was carried out by the Worshipful Mayor of Wokingham Borough Councillor John Kaiser. Councillor Kaiser has a particular interest in the scheme as a sitting Non-Executive Director on the Board of Loddon Homes who now own the development and is landlord to the new residents living at Fosters. Councillor Kaiser was joined by representatives from across the Council, WHL, Homes England, Loddon Homes and Optalis who are care provider for the scheme.

Fosters, was made possible due to a £1.5million Homes England grant from the Care and Support Specialist Housing Fund. This grant, as well as funds from private developers in lieu of providing affordable housing on their sites (commuted sums), along with loan funding taken out by Loddon Homes, enabled WHL to build this development of 34 one bed affordable rent apartments. Each apartment has a double bedroom, an open plan kitchen and living area, en-suite wet rooms and a private terrace or balcony; as well as access to all the communal facilities, including two lounges, a restaurant and lovely landscaped gardens.

Following the opening Councillor Kaiser was invited into the home of Rita Sheppard who was one of the first tenants to move into Fosters. Rita requested a move to Fosters from her previous tenancy because she was aware that over the coming years she would need additional care support to maintain her independence for as long as possible. Speaking about her new home at Fosters Rita commented “I couldn’t have wished for anything more from Fosters. All the staff, be that from Optalis, the on-site restaurant team or the Council’s housing team, have all been so helpful and caring. The décor is fabulous and I am delighted to have a balcony to enjoy the outside space. Having the peace of mind of knowing that the support at Fosters can change as my needs do, is very reassuring.”

After meeting with Rita and following a tour of the scheme Councillor Kaiser said “I was delighted to meet with Rita and see her actually living in her home. It is only when you meet residents like Rita face to face that you get to see the real positive impact schemes like Fosters can have on an individual.

It gives me great pleasure to officially open Fosters. This marks a milestone achievement for the borough council, and its companies Wokingham Housing and Loddon Homes. This has all been possible by us coming together and working hard – Fosters is the fruit of that collaboration. Good living options for an increasing older population is a national problem and through delivering schemes like Fosters, borough residents can be reassured that the Council, along with our wholly owned housing companies, are taking the right steps towards providing positive choices for our residents.”

You can find out more about Fosters and all schemes being delivered by Loddon Homes by visiting www.loddonhomes.co.uk or telephone 0118 908 8479.

This week marked the official opening of a new development for young people in central Wokingham. The purpose-built scheme located on the corner of Reading Road and Station Approach was formally opened by Peter Jones, Head of Affordable Housing and Supply for the South West from Homes England.

Peter was joined by the leader of Wokingham Borough Council Charlotte Haitham-Taylor, Gary Cowan, Chairman of Council owned, registered provider Loddon Homes, as well as representatives from the partnership organisations who have worked together to deliver this scheme from concept through to completion.

The development of seven bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and two bedsit apartments has been built in response to increasing demands for living options for young care leavers in the Borough. The nature of the scheme meant it was eligible for a Homes England, Platform for Life grant of £304,000. The grant combined with commuted sums developer contributions, in lieu of affordable housing, meant that the Council were able to instruct its own development company Wokingham Housing (WHL) to build the scheme on its behalf. Upon completion the new property transferred to Loddon Homes as caretaker and landlord.

During the ribbon cutting opening ceremony Peter Jones commented “Schemes such as Reading Road are exactly what the Platform for Life grant programme has been set up for. Homes England is passionate about providing housing for young people aged 16-25 that are either homeless or at risk of homelessness. Low rent accommodation such as this gives young people the housing and support they need to achieve their life aspirations be that through work, education or a vocation.”

Also present at the opening was 19 year old Simone Jones. Since Simone moved in she has worked hard to make this multi-roomed house a home; including initiating work in the garden to establish a vegetable patch, Simone and her fellow resident Caitlin have also taken the opportunity to display their personal art work in the communal areas. Simone had moved from another young person’s scheme in Wokingham and she said “Reading Road already feels like a home, the move here has had a very positive impact on my outlook. The house is very bright and spacious and this can only increase your positivity. The on-site care team, P3, also really help with this, they provide strong support that focuses on our well-being.”

Reading Road has been created with the vision of providing a stepping stone to independence; the onsite care team will aid these young people to navigate their way through these formative years to better understand and manage the financial and social pressures of renting or buying their own home. The existing residents are encouraged to establish themselves in their private rooms whilst focusing on their education, employment or vocation. When they are ready to take on the next level of responsibility they can transition to a bed-sit apartment before eventually moving on to manage their own independent tenancies.

Alison Marjoram, Regional Director for P3 commented that “When someone leaves care at age of 16 they don’t suddenly stop needing support. Through homes like Reading Road P3 are able to work with young people, building their confidence, resilience and life skills; we work to enable them to fulfil their potential and lead happy lives. By seeing each person as an individual and offering bespoke support we believe everyone can become a full and valued member of society. Unfortunately, too many young people miss out on the opportunities that have been made available by this marvellous new scheme”.

Reading Road further highlights the Council’s ambitions for its housing companies. Through building and providing social and affordable homes across a mix of tenures the Local Housing Companies are able to meet the varying needs of the Boroughs residents from young people through to individuals on a limited income right up to older people needing extra care.

Wokingham Housing (WHL) is delighted to announce the completion of Fosters; a £7million independent living scheme for older people in Woodley providing 24 hour on site Extra Care. Loddon Homes, WHL’s sister company and a registered provider of housing, has taken ownership of the scheme as landlord to the 34 self-contained apartments as well as communal facilities, shared gardens and a restaurant serving fresh, healthy meals.

The opening of Fosters marks a milestone achievement for WHL and its parent company Wokingham Borough Council. The Council faced a difficult decision in 2013 when they decided to demolish and rebuild the former Fosters Lane care home; now this purpose built, modern up to date scheme is forming part of WBC’s commitment to providing much needed affordable living options for older persons in the Borough, who are unable to stay in their own homes. The scheme was made possible through a combination of government grant from Homes England, developer contributions for off-site provision from house builders and loan finance.

Residents will be moving into Fosters over the next couple of months so that they can be supported by the care provider in the transition to their new home.  These new residents will have access to as much or as little care as needed from Wokingham based care provider Optalis, who maintain a 24 hour on site presence as well as delivering tailor made care packages to residents.

Gary Cowan, Chairman of Loddon Homes commented that “Loddon Homes maintained a close working relationship with WHL throughout the build of this development and we are all delighted with the completed scheme. Living options for older people is a national issue and schemes like Fosters present a real solution to an increasing proportion of local older people who might otherwise have to continue to live in increasingly untenable situations in their own home or go into expensive residential care”.

Bill Flood, Managing Director of WHL said “as a Council owned development company WHL was established to build much needed affordable housing across a number of client groups, including older Borough residents. Fosters has been built with a view to future proofing our investment, and together with our trusted construction partner RJ Leighfields, we have built a scheme to last for many future generations which contains the latest technology to be able to look after and keep residents safe.”

Following the ongoing successful development of Phoenix Avenue, Wokingham Housing is pleased to announce two more affordable housing projects taking shape within the Norreys community.

The schemes at Elizabeth Road and Barrett Crescent are on Wokingham Borough Council owned land, where under-used derelict garages have been demolished to make way for brand new homes. The two three-bedroom houses at Elizabeth Road and two, two-bedroom maisonettes at Barrett Crescent are being built for shared ownership (part buy, part rent).

Development has already started with the foundations laid and the rest of the construction now springing up brick-by-brick.

The two projects have been made possible through a combination of commuted sums (paid by a developer to the Council, where the size or scale of a development triggers a requirement for affordable housing, but it is not possible to achieve appropriate affordable housing on site) and Government grant from the Homes and Communities Agency.

The build is being executed by Francis Construction who were appointed as part of a competitive tender process.

Bill Flood, Managing Director of Wokingham Housing said, “As Wokingham Borough Council’s housing development company, our main aim is to build social and affordable housing for local people on the housing register. The developments at Elizabeth Road and Barrett Crescent are part of the Council’s and WHL’s strategy to deliver a number of housing projects across the Borough that better uses Council-owned land.

“In total we are building over a 100 homes across the Borough, which will be largely completed by April next year. Thereafter we intend to have an on-going supply of at least 50 to 70 new homes for local people every year.”

For any enquiries please contact WHL Managing Director Bill Flood (info@wokinghamhousing.co.uk)

For further details about Shared Ownership visit helptobuysouth.co.uk.

It’s only three months until the brand new, 34 self-catered apartments at Fosters Independent Living are completed. A new release of the time-lapse video at the development shows how much progress has been made since March.

To mark the significant progress, Wokingham Housing Limited, the Council’s wholly owned Housing company, invited local Bulmershe & Whitegates Councillor  Alison Swaddle, together with representatives from Optalis and construction firm RJ Leighfields to take part in a walk around of the site to view progress of the development.

Cllr Swaddle said: “It is great news for the community in Woodley that a new purpose-built extra care housing scheme will be opening this year to support older people in the area. The site visit gave me a real feel as to what the development will be like upon completion.”

The £6 million pound scheme in Fosters Lane, Woodley will enable older people with care and support needs to live independently in the community whilst having access to Extra Care and support provided by Optalis as and when it is needed.

Each of the apartments at Fosters Independent Living will feature private balcony or ground floor terrace, walk-in wet room, double bedroom and kitchen/living area. In addition residents will be able to use two comfortable communal lounges with tea bars, a café and dining area and landscaped gardens

The scheme, which is being funded by a mixture of government grant, developer contributions and borrowings, is expected to create up to 30 jobs and is scheduled for completion in October this year.

People living in the Wokingham Borough are invited to drop in to Woodley Library on Tuesday 13 June between 10am and 12pm to find out more about Fosters Independent Living with extra care.

This new scheme for older people replaces the former Fosters Care Home on Fosters Lane, Woodley and is fast-approaching completion. Building work is on schedule and the first apartments are due to be ready for occupation this October.

Wokingham Borough Council’s housing company, Wokingham Housing Limited, is building the scheme for its sister company Loddon Homes Limited, and care will be provided by the Council’s social care company Optalis.

On 13 June people will be able to meet representatives from Wokingham Borough Council, Loddon Homes and Optalis at Woodley Library to talk about the scheme and find out more about the care provision that will be provided. When complete, the scheme will consist of 34 self-contained apartments, all with a private balcony or ground floor terrace and will have communal facilities for all residents including two lounges and a kitchen and dining room.

The apartments will allow older people to live independently in the security and privacy of their own home, with additional support and care staff available if needed.

Bill Flood, Managing Director of Wokingham Housing Limited said, “This information session on 13 June is an opportunity for members of the local community to find out more about Fosters Independent Living and the extra care that will be provided at the scheme. It will also give people a face to face chance to ask questions, express their interest in living in the development and learn about the nominations process that will be involved”.

People can find out more information and see current progress of the development on the time-lapse video featured on the Wokingham Housing website, wokinghamhousing.co.uk.

Wokingham Housing Limited (WHL)’s subsidiary company Loddon Homes has been awarded £1.5 million from the Homes and Communities Agency to continue its programme of building social and affordable housing for local people on the housing register on behalf of Wokingham Borough Council.

The funding forms part of a £1.28bn tranche of first round grant awards under the Government’s 2016-21 Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme where contractors and housing associations bid for grants to build affordable homes.

The money will contribute to building 78 new shared-ownership properties over the next four years across Wokingham Borough.

The first new houses and apartments will be available for people to part buy and part rent at several sites in Wokingham itself including Elizabeth Road where two houses are being built, Barrett Crescent where two two-bedroom houses are being built and Norton Road, a mixed tenure development of nine affordable rental and shared ownership two-bedroom apartments and houses.

Bill Flood, Managing Director of Wokingham Housing Limited said: “I am delighted that Loddon Homes has received this grant which will enable us to continue to deliver much-needed new housing for people in the Wokingham Borough. We have already secured planning permission to develop some of these new homes and building has started which is good news as we strive to meet the housing needs of the local community, in this instance, people wanting to own their own home, but couldn’t otherwise afford to do so.”

Loddon Homes is delighted to have achieved registration as a For-Profit Registered Provider (RP) with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), who regulates social housing providers in England. Loddon Homes is the first completely council owned For Profit RP – more commonly known as a Housing Association. Only three housing associations have been set up by councils, with only one other being a For-Profit RP, jointly owned by a council and a Housing Association as a joint venture.

Through achieving For Profit RP status, Loddon Homes, which is owned by Wokingham Borough Council, will have additional flexibility to meet the housing needs of the residents of the Wokingham borough, as well as generating a financial return which can be reinvested into new local housing and local authority essential services.

As a housing association Loddon Homes will be governed by the HCA’s Standards, ensuring it meets the HCA’s requirements for strong governance and financial viability, as well as well-managed and maintained homes that are expected of all affordable housing providers in England.

“The entire team and Board at Loddon Homes are enormously proud to become the first wholly council owned For Profit Registered Provider with the HCA,” said Cllr Gary Cowan, Chair of Loddon Homes.

“Loddon Homes gives us an additional organisation and increased flexibility to provide the housing our borough needs, while also helping us to work towards providing a funding stream for essential council support to residents in a time of austerity for public services. As an elected Councillor, I am thrilled to be the Chairman of an organisation where the real beneficiaries of our registration will be Wokingham Borough residents, both young and old, as we build and let our new homes to local people who need affordable housing.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported and advised us during the application process. We worked hard to meet the tougher registration criteria of the HCA, but it was worth it and has helped us build a new strong organisation to meet the challenges of delivering affordable housing in the fast changing housing policy environment.”

In addition to Gary Cowan, the Loddon Homes Board of Directors also consists of a number of independent Non-Executive Directors, appointed on their expertise and experience in housing.

Loddon Homes was established in 2014 to own and manage homes developed by its parent company, Wokingham Housing Limited (WHL) – a Local Housing Company also owned by the Council.

Loddon Homes has commissioned WHL to build a 34 apartment Extra Care scheme for older people in Woodley in Wokingham, due for completion in autumn 2017, to add to its existing 16 homes at two schemes it already owns for supported housing residents.