The first residents have now moved into affordable bungalows in Amble, marking another milestone in our partnership with Northumberland County Council.
Across four sites in the town, disused council garage blocks have been transformed into 14 modern, energy-efficient bungalows, providing high-quality homes for local people.
The scheme forms part of the Council’s wider Affordable Homes Programme, which has already delivered more than 1,700 affordable homes across Northumberland since 2017, with planning permission in place for a further 1,369. Together, this represents over 3,000 new affordable homes across the county.
One of the first tenants, Joe, has recently moved into his new bungalow in Alndale. Previously living nearby in Dansfield Square, the move has allowed him to remain part of the same community while moving into a home designed to support his changing mobility needs.
He said:
“I have mobility issues which are getting worse and I used to worry about the future – but now that worry has gone. Being able to move into this new home has been life-changing for me. The bungalow is amazing – I feel like I have won the lottery.
“It’s warm, there is plenty of room and it has everything I need in a home and more. I moved to Amble a few years ago to be closer to family. I love it and I am so happy to be able to continue living here. You would never ever know this used to be a block of old garages.”
“My County Council Estates Officer Ryan has been a massive support to me throughout the whole process which has been a great help to me.“
HUSK delivered the one- and two-bedroom bungalows using its patented, cost-effective construction system, designed specifically to unlock small, constrained and brownfield sites that are often overlooked.
Each home has an insulated timber frame and roof, air source heat pumps and solar panels, helping to reduce energy bills while supporting Northumberland County Council’s ambition to be carbon net zero. All properties are fully accessible, with level entrances and adapted shower rooms suitable for wheelchair users.
Northumberland County Councillor Colin Horncastle, Cabinet member with responsibility for housing said:
“Creating high-quality, affordable housing for our residents is one of our top priorities and we’ve allocated £45million to help us deliver more affordable housing in areas where it is needed most.”
“The Amble scheme has turned some old buildings into really attractive energy efficient homes and in a cost-effective way too.”
Russell Edwards, founder of HUSK, said:
“Our designs breathe new life into old brownfield sites and address local housing needs by creating environmentally efficient homes with a modern look and feel.“
“It’s fantastic to see these old areas smartened up whilst creating new and needed homes for this community.”
We absolutely love hearing our partners, and residents’ feedback on our homes. It strengthens our mission to turn forgotten spaces into warm and welcoming places to live.
Get in touch to see how we can help you transform your disused garage sites.
