Irwell Valley begins work on Trafford homes

Work has begun on the construction of 33 “affordable” homes in Trafford as part of a wider housing development of nearly 150 new homes.Irwell Valley Homes has broken ground at its Trafford Gardens development in Stretford, where the organisation is building 29 one- and two-bedroomed apartments, and four two-bedroomed town houses available on a rent to buy basis.The new homes are located near to Old Trafford Cricket Ground, and features include Juliet balconies, fitted kitchens and outside communal spaces.Sasha Deepwell, chief executive of Irwell Valley Homes, said: “It’s exciting to be breaking ground on this ambitious new development in the popular borough of Trafford, close to Manchester city centre.“Over our last half a century in business, we have diversified our offering to ensure we continue to meet the needs of residents across Greater Manchester. Rent-to-buy homes are a fantastic opportunity for people who need a bit of backing to get their foot on the property ladder and we’re delighted to be investing in these as part of our current development strategy.“We’re looking forward to seeing this site grow into a vibrant and sustainable community over the next 15 months.”The scheme is part of a wider development with Linear Living, which is building 116 one- and two-bedroomed apartments in a separate block for private sale and rent with contractor Linear Design and Construct.The rent-to-buy homes are due for completion in spring 2025.Irwell Valley Homes is funding the £7m development through its own private finance arrangements, while Linear Living has received £1.69m from Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) through its Brownfield Land Fund.Councillor Ged Cooney, GMCA’s portfolio lead for housing, said: “It’s great to see work begin on delivering more much-needed affordable homes in our city-region.“Our Brownfield Housing Fund is playing a key role in unlocking land across Greater Manchester, as we work with partners to meet growing housing need. Developing brownfield sites will help us provide new, sustainable, high-quality homes and support skilled construction jobs and apprenticeships.”Councillor James Wright, Trafford Council’s executive member for housing and advice, said: “Trafford Council is totally committed to the building of more new and affordable homes and I am delighted that work has started on the latest scheme in Stretford. We are in a housing crisis so it is vital more affordable homes are built to ensure more people can get on the property ladder.”Main image: Louise Marsden, development manager, Irwell Valley Homes with John Entwistle, and Carl Philips from Linear Living, and Jason Davies, development project manager, Irwell Valley HomesAre you a social housing professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.