Image demonstrating New affordable bungalows approved for Felton 

New affordable bungalows approved for Felton 

 
Northumberland County Council is to build four new bungalows in Felton which it will rent out at an affordable rate.  
 
The council’s North Area planning committee has approved the scheme which will see the two- bedroomed bungalows built on a county council garage site accessed off Mouldshaugh Lane in Felton. 
 
Zero carbon technologies will be used to power the new homes. The eco-friendly bungalows will have an insulated timber frame and roof, air source heat pumps and solar panels to help reduce the electric bills for new tenants. 
 
After consulting local residents and receiving some valuable feedback, some modifications were made to the original scheme including reducing the number of bungalows from five to four. This will address any potential access issues, prevent overlooking from the properties and allow for some garaging for cars identified as a priority through the consultation. There will also be space for outdoor seating. 
 
Northumberland County Councillor, Colin Horncastle, cabinet member with responsibility for housing said: 
 
“We know there are residents in Felton who are looking to down-size from larger properties  
but who want to stay in the village and live independently, close to their neighbours, family and friends.  This small-scale affordable housing scheme will enable them to do just that, while freeing up larger properties in the village for other families in housing need.” 
 
The council has been working with North East based developer HUSK to develop the bungalows, using a patented, cost-effective construction method in which the garage roofs are removed, and the brick walls are retained.  
 
Prefabricated insulated timber framed walls are then erected with the elements of the home being created inside the void, including a kitchen, wet room, living and dining area. They will also have pitched roofs to ensure the bungalows are in-keeping with the village.  
 
The advantage of this method of construction is that it is relatively quick, using off site manufactured panels that increase the speed of the build due to being less dependent on the weather. 
  
Delivering homes in through the HUSK concept is in line with the council’s ambitions of building on brownfield sites, providing genuine affordable homes, tackling the climate emergency, and supporting local businesses to create jobs.  
 
The bungalows will be built with help of funding from Homes England (a government grant funding programme designed to boost the construction of affordable new homes) ,and funding from Northumberland County Council, 
 
Further HUSK sites are being explored throughout the county to provide mor accessible bungalow accommodation, greatly needed for residents to remain living independently in the heart of their established communities. 
 
 
More information about the HUSK concept can be found at: https://www.husk-uk.com 
 
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