Last tile laid on new affordable homes built by Watford Community Housing Trust (From Watford Observer)

Last tile laid on new affordable homes built by Watford Community Housing Trust

4:20pm Tuesday 7th September 2010 in

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The last roof tile has been laid on the first collection of new family homes to be built by Watford Community Housing Trust.

The two and three-bedroom homes, at Alma Place, The Turnstones, on the Meriden estate, are part of the trust's programme to create 150 new affordable homes across Watford in the next five years.

At a "Topping Out" ceremony held last Friday, trust chief executive Tina Barnard and Mayor Dorothy Thornhill climbed aboard a cherry picker crane and were raised into the air to lay the last tile, before internal fixtures and fittings are installed.

Ms Barnard said: “We are delighted to have reached a major milestone on completing the building of high quality, low rent new homes for our tenants and the newly-named Alma Place development is just the first of many such schemes.”

Mayor Thornhill added: “We know there is very high demand for affordable family housing to rent in Watford, with thousands of families on the council’s housing register, so we are especially pleased that the trust is nearing completion on these homes.”

The ceremony was attended by staff, management and members of the trust's Community Gateway, together with partners from Watford Borough Council, Hertfordshire County Council and from Circle Anglia who provide development agency services to the trust.

The homes, which feature solar panel technology, were built on brownfield land that had become subjected to anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.

The existing garages are being refurbished, and there are also plans for a community garden. The new homes will be ready for families to move in to by the beginning of next year.