Housing

Residents helped celebrate the start of building work by Lovell on a regeneration scheme in Netherley, Liverpool, which will create 67 new homes for social rent, shared ownership and open-market sale.

The new housing, a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses and two-bedroom bungalows, is being built on two sites at Hartopp Road and Viennese Road for social housing provider Riverside.

Thirty-seven homes will be for social rent, ten will be for shared ownership and twenty homes will be offered for open-market sale. The development, which is set to be completed in spring 2011, is going ahead with more than £3 million Kickstart funding from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Homes will achieve Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Sustainable features include solar hot-water systems and rainwater harvesting.

An event to mark the start of building work brought together representatives from the Lee Valley Residents Association, the Childwall Valley Estate Management Board, Riverside, the HCA, Liverpool city councillors, Lovell and local MP Maria Eagle.

Deborah McLaughlin, HCA director for the North West, said: “I am pleased that the important new development at Netherley is now making such good progress. The scheme will provide a real boost for Birkenhead, delivering high-quality, new homes to help enhance the local community."

Neil Townsend, divisional director for Riverside, commented: “We have been working with people in Netherley and Belle Vale since 2003 to regenerate the area. The community is very supportive of our plans to improve neighbourhoods. This exciting new development is the next stage in its continuing renewal. We are proud to work with all our partners, tenants and residents and look forward to securing more investment into the area.”

www.lovell.co.uk