Time for tea when first residents move into new appartment homes
20 September 2007

 

“Come and see our new house!” That was the invitation from Donald and Janet Ware when they invited local councillors and housing officials round to their brand new apartment, to thank them for helping them to find a home of their own.

 

Donald, who restores vintage coaches for Llangollen Railway and Janet, an artist, are the first people to rent an apartment in the recently completed Lower Dee Mill development, in central Llangollen. Four of the ground floor apartments in the 42-apartment scheme have been made available for the over-55’s to rent, through Tai Clwyd .

And Lower Dee Mill has also benefitted local people who need a helping hand to get onto the housing ladder. Thanks to an innovative discount scheme, between Wrexham-based housebuilders Gower and Denbighshire County Council, local residents or people who work in the area, have been able to purchase eight of the two-bedroom apartments at more than 30 per cent below the market price.

The Lower Dee Mill development, with the inclusion of affordable housing, is the first of its kind in Llangollen and has attracted a huge amount of interest. The spacious apartments, built on the site of a former cotton mill, underline Gower’s reputation as eco-award-winning builders. Fitted with an impressive range of energy saving features including ‘A’rated appliances, enhanced thermal and sound insulation and recycling facilities, they each include a parking space for a car – and a bicycle!

And looking to the future – the apartments will remain affordable to people who live or work in the Llangollen area. When the existing owners move on, they will be required to offer their homes, initially, to someone on the Denbighshire County Council Affordable Home Ownership register at an agreed percentage below the valuation price.