Historic Bury St Edmunds Provides Backdrop For Affordable Living

Iceni Homes, one of the East of England's leading developers of affordable homes, has started work on 25 properties on the Abbots Gate development, located close to Bury town centre and within easy reach of all the local amenities.

The properties currently under construction included 16 x two bedroom apartments, 2 x one bedroom apartments, 5 x three bedroom houses, 1 x three bedroom apartment and 1 x four bedroom house.  Once complete, which should be Spring 2011; the properties will be made available to local residents at an affordable level of rent.

The total cost of the scheme is £2,854,000, which has been part funded by a grant of £1,157,727 from the Homes and Communities Agency, with the remainder being funded by Suffolk Housing Society.

Councillor Anne Gower, Portfolio Holder St Edmundsbury Borough Council, commented: "A home is one of the most basic of human needs, but it is becoming harder and harder for many people to secure an affordable one.  The properties on the Abbots Gate development are a demonstration of the Borough's commitment to providing secure, decent and affordable homes for those in housing need.  We are happy to be a part of this partnership which will benefit a large number of Bury residents."

Steve Clarke, Chief Executive of Suffolk Housing Society said: "Abbots Gate is a first rate scheme, designed to make it more affordable for local people to continue living in the area.  The partnership with Iceni Homes and St Edmundsbury Borough Council has worked extremely well and work should be completed on time."

Managing Director of Iceni Homes, Mike Goodson, said: "Iceni's ethos is to create sustainable, well-designed and high-quality homes for those in housing need and the properties at Abbots Gate are an excellent example of that ethos in practice."

All the new properties will be built to level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes and are being constructed by Land Charter as part of the wider Abbots Gate development.