Topping Out Ceremony at Flagship Council Housing Development
A TOPPING out ceremony has been held to celebrate a milestone in the Council’s flagship affordable house building project.
Reading Borough Council has contracted Hill to construct 57 new affordable homes in Conwy Close, Tilehurst. The completion of the highest point of the development was marked by councillors and the teams working on the development this week. Work on the £11m project got under way in October 2017. Construction started on block one, the smallest of the blocks of flats, followed by the eight four-bedroom houses. Once they began to take shape work commenced on the other two blocks followed by the two and three bedroom houses. In total, the scheme will incorporate 12 one-bed flats, 22 two-bed flats, 9 two-bed houses, 6 three-bed houses and 8 four-bed houses. A block of flats and the eight four-bedroom houses are to be handed over in the autumn with the whole project expected to be completed by summer 2019. The homes will feature traditional Reading red-brick exteriors and will have attractive landscaped frontages and communal areas, including newly planted trees, open spaces and informal play areas. Cllr John Ennis, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Housing, took part in the Topping Out Ceremony on Monday 1st October with local ward councillors and members of the Hill team. The event marked the roof being completed on the highest point of the development.Cllr Ennis said:
“I am delighted to see the Council’s affordable housing development in Conwy Close progressing well. “This is the Council’s largest house building project in this current phase of construction works and will play a vital role in providing high quality accommodation to local people. “I am looking forward to welcoming the first families to Conwy Close after the first homes are ready later this year.”Ryan Harris, Regional Director at Hill, said:
“We were delighted to take part in the topping out at Conwy Close, which celebrated a significant milestone in the construction of these new homes. “This development is progressing well and we look forward to welcoming the first residents next year. “Working with Reading Council, these new homes will benefit local families as councils increasingly look to provide housing and amenities for their communities.”NOTES TO EDITORS
Reading Borough Council and Hill are working in partnership to offer Council apprentices opportunities to gain valuable experience on site throughout the project. Hill is also providing funding to offer opportunities to local people through Employment Skills Training. Conwy Close is one of a number of initiatives the Council has in place to tackle the town’s housing crisis. Twenty-eight temporary homes came into use in January 2018 for households who would otherwise be placed in bed and breakfast accommodation; the Council is working closely with the private sector to prevent families being made homeless and to help secure private rented homes for households and the Council’s wholly-owned company Homes for Reading aims to let accommodation at below-market rents in the long term. The Council has also agreed to invest almost £20m in the construction of up to 100 new affordable homes in its next house building programme.About Hill:
Hill is an award-winning UK top 20 housebuilder and one of the leading developers in London and the south east of England, delivering both private for sale and affordable homes. The company builds in the region of 2,000 homes a year, including more than 1,000 homes for clients and partners in the affordable housing sector. Hill’s portfolio is diverse, ranging from landmark mixed-use regeneration schemes and large-scale urban extensions, to bespoke housing in rural communities. Hill has won awards including the WhatHouse? Development of the Year title three years in a row and their Housebuilder of the Year award in 2015. For further information on Hill visit: www.hill.co.uk