A development offering affordable homes for people in Marazion is now complete and residents are starting to move in.
We teamed up with Cornwall Council and regeneration specialists, Vistry Partnerships, to develop the 100% affordable development of 40 homes as part of the Homes for Cornwall initiative to build much-needed homes on Cornwall Council-owned sites across the Duchy.
The Marazion scheme, which began in October 2019, was made possible by grant funding from Homes England and Cornwall Council.
Originally 35 per cent of the development was designed to be affordable but thanks to extra funding and the partnership between all parties, that figure has increased to 100 per cent.
Built on former Council-owned land on the edge of the town, the development offers a mixture of affordable homes for shared ownership and rent.
The 40 homes are made up of 28 for affordable rent and 12 shared ownership.
Robert Cock, our Head of Delivery, said: “These new homes will form a high quality and sustainable affordable housing development that meets the needs of local people.
“Ensuring people have access to social housing is of vital importance in today’s climate. Importantly, the homes are in a coastal community which will help to sustain local services in the future.
“The development has proved to be particularly popular with people wanting to own their own homes in the town of Marazion where many of them have a local connection.
“We look forward to welcoming the remaining residents into their new homes.”
Cornwall Council cabinet member for homes Andrew Mitchell said: “We’ve worked with Vistry Partnerships and LiveWest since 2013 to provide 396 new homes for open market sale, affordable rent and shared ownership on surplus Council land throughout the Duchy.
“The Homes for Cornwall partnership has been hugely successful – 52% of all homes have been provided as affordable housing across the programme with this site in Marazion 100% affordable.
“As part of the partnership, other homes have been built at Shortlanesend, Blackwater, Madron, on two sites in Penzance, Wadebridge and St. Breward.”
Sue Nicholas, Cornwall Council local member for Marazion and Perranuthnoe, said: “I am pleased and proud to say that the collaborative working between LiveWest and Vistry Partnerships, myself as the Divisional Cornwall Councillor and Marazion Town Council has resulted in a well-designed development.
“It provides long awaited quality houses to meet the needs of local families. Having spoken with some residents it is really lovely to see they are settling into their new homes.”
Bradley Davison, Managing Director for Vistry Partnerships South West commented: “Homes for Cornwall has been a great success and we are proud to have played a key part in the delivery of almost 400 new homes in the county.
“Working collaboratively with our partners, Cornwall Council and LiveWest has allowed the programme to provide a significant number of affordable homes and increase the supply across Cornwall.
“The new homes in Marazion are a prime example of the partnered approach, increasing the affordable homes provision to 100% and providing high quality, energy efficient homes, offering more opportunity for local people.”
Marazion Town Council, with financial support from LiveWest, has erected a memorial stone on the development in tribute to HMS Warspite whose last resting place was near to Marazion.
HMS Warspite was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship built for the Royal Navy in the early 1910s. She was completed in the First World War in 1915, assigned to the Grand Fleet and participated in the Battle of Jutland.
During the Second World War, HMS Warspite was damaged by German aircraft during the Battle of Crete in 1941 and needed six months of repair in the United States.
Warspite returned home in 1943 but was badly damaged again by German radio-controlled glider bombs during the landings of Salerno.
After being repaired, HMS Warspite bombarded German positions during the Normandy landings – actions that earned her the greatest battle honours ever awarded to an individual ship in the Royal Navy.
Decommissioned in 1945, Warspite ran aground under tow in 1947 on rocks near Prussia Cove and was eventually broken up nearby.
Councillor Derek Laity, the Mayor of Marazion Town Council, said: “Marazion Town Council were delighted to work with LiveWest and Vistry Partnerships in helping to provide much needed affordable housing for local Marazion families.
“The development has provided homes for people in the town where many have grown up and will enable them to continue to be part of our unique Cornish community and culture.
“A stone placed at the entrance of Warspite Way is in recognition of HMS Warspite whose last resting place was Marazion beach next to Little Hogus. Penlee Way is named after the lifeboat of that time which carried out the rescue of the HMS Warspite skeleton crew.”