Colleagues from Cumberland Council recently attended the opening of six new bungalows built by Westfield Housing Association on land gifted by the former Allerdale District Council.
The bungalows, completed in June 2024 on the old welfare site in Workington, will provide affordable and suitable housing for the over 55s and those with mobility issues. The homes will allow them to access versatile accommodation that can adapt to changing circumstances, therefore allowing the tenants to live in their local community for longer.
The bungalows contribute to a wider project undertaken by Westfield Housing Association, which will provide seventeen affordable and much-needed bungalows to the Westfield estate. The developments were designed by Architects Plus, with the main contractor Thomas Armstrong Construction Ltd completing the build, with support from Donley’s Quantity Surveyors and WDS Civil and Structural Engineers. The £3.3 million development received a grant of £765,000 from Homes England, with the remainder of the cost being covered by Westfield Housing Association.
The land housing six of the new bungalows was gifted by the former Allerdale District Council (now Cumberland Council following Local Government Reorganisation) free of charge, in return for nomination rights on the six bungalows. Cumberland Council Housing staff nominated several individuals they felt who were most in need of the accessible bungalows, with several residents now having moved in. The land was previously a welfare site, which had become run down and not in use for several years.
Councillor Emma Williamson, Executive Member of Cumberland Council for Children’s Services, Family Wellbeing and Housing, said:
"Today has been a fantastic celebration of our collaboration with Westfield Housing Association to provide these much-needed bungalows. The Council has effectively made use of its assets to support this affordable housing development, catering to our ageing population's needs—a vital initiative for the Cumberland area. We hope this area can now be a source of comfort, and provide much needed accessible housing for the local community for generations to come.”
The Chair of the Board of Westfield Housing Association said:
“Westfield Housing Association is a small housing association, and this is our first development for many years. We are delighted with the seventeen new bungalows on the Westfield estate.
Bungalows are a popular choice for residents as they grow older and help free up family sized accommodation. It is fantastic to see the completion of this quality accommodation. The properties have improved derelict areas of land and have enhanced the lives of all the residents who live in the new homes. Building more quality, affordable bungalows is a top priority for Westfield as currently there is just over 150 households waiting for level access accommodation”.