Poundbury: Stonewater completes homes to rent

Stonewater, a leading affordable-housing provider has completed four new three-bedroom family homes for affordable rent in Poundbury’s North East Quadrant, on the outskirts of Dorchester.

The new homes are part of a small mixed development of nine affordable rented, and five shared-ownership homes pepper-potted around the North East Quadrant, which Stonewater is delivering in partnership with The Duchy of Cornwall and West Dorset District Council.

The North East Quadrant is the third phase of Poundbury, an urban extension to Dorchester which, when completed, will provide 505 new homes, mixed-use commercial buildings and a public park.

Since 2012, Stonewater has delivered 63 affordable homes across the Poundbury scheme and is set to hand over the final five affordable rented homes in the North East Quadrant next summer. The construction of the development has provided apprenticeship opportunities with two bricklayers, one plasterer, one carpenter and two electricians currently working on site.

Jonathan Layzell, Stonewater’s executive director for development, said: “The high cost of renting a home in the Dorchester area is making it very difficult for people on local wages to find affordable rental housing close to the town, their families and their work.”

Each new affordable Stonewater home has been built to a Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 equivalent standard, to help keep residents’ overall energy bills as low as possible.

Councillor Tim Yarker, West Dorset District Council’s executive portfolio holder for Housing, said: “Affordable housing makes an essential contribution to the sustainability of the local community.”