Brick laying ceremony at Coronation Place

It was held at a Wealden District Council development in Uckfield which will provide 20 affordable homes

Council officials attended the ceremony at the former site of Streatfeild House in Southview Drive. The development will be known as Coronation Place.

The project received planning approval in October 2022 and when completed will provide 20 affordable, carbon zero homes - 18 homes for rent, and two for purchase on a shared ownership basis.

Two homes will be suitable for wheelchair users and the remainder built to accessible standards.

To ensure the homes are truly affordable, the rented homes will be available at social rent levels - approximately 40% of market rents.

All homes will be highly energy efficient with high levels of insulation and the use of heat pumps and photovoltaic solar panels to help generate energy. This will see a reduction in energy use and cost for the occupier. Each home will also be provided with an electric vehicle charging point.

Streatfeild House is a former retirement living scheme that was constructed in 1979 consisting mainly of studio flats owned by Wealden District Council. Due to the type, quality and size of the accommodation, it had become hard to let.

Trinity Homes Ltd was awarded the contract to complete the development and representatives from the construction company were also at the ceremony, along with Baily Garner, acting as Employers Agent and Clerk of Works for the project..

The project has been awarded funding by HM Government through the Brownfield Land

Release Fund (BLRF2) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Council leader Councillor Rachel Millward, Alliance for Wealden (Green) and lead councillor for Housing, said, “I am so pleased to see this scheme taking shape. At Coronation Place we will be providing desperately needed affordable housing with carbon efficiency built in from the start and that means lower energy bills in the future.

“This is going to be a first-class development providing homes for local families.”

The brick laying ceremony came as Wealden council members, along with other local authority councillors, lobbied the government for changes so they can deliver more council housing to local residents.

Photo shows Wealden councillors, staff and representatives from Trinity Homes.