TOP AWARD FOR CLANMIL HOMES
Clanmil Housing’s Ardilea Close family housing scheme in Downpatrick has scooped a top prize at annual awards organised by the Northern Ireland Housing Council, a statutory body set up to advise on housing policy in Northern Ireland.
The Housing Council Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of people and organisations who have excelled in delivering effective, efficient, quality housing throughout Northern Ireland.
Ardilea Close took first place in the Councillor Jim Speers Special Award which is presented each year to the best housing association scheme constructed within the past three years.
The scheme, which was completed by Clanmil in October 2011, provides 13 houses and six apartments all of which have been built to high energy efficiency levels, with double glazed windows designed to maximise natural light and highly rated insulation fitted as standard. The houses also have solar roof panels fitted to assist water heating.
The award recognises Clanmil’s success in developing a difficult hill top site and in delivering homes to a very high environmental standard, making them up to 40% more energy efficient than standard houses and considerably cheaper for tenants to run.
Clare McCarty, Clanmil’s Chief Executive, is delighted that the scheme has been acknowledged in this way. She said;
“We are very proud of the homes we provide at Ardilea Close. This was a difficult site to develop and everyone involved in the scheme’s design and construction went that extra mile to make it happen.
“Our tenants are now well settled at Ardilea Close and I would like to thank them for helping to make this scheme such a success. We are also very grateful to local community and political representatives who worked with us to deliver this development, and who continue to support us in promoting a good neighbourhood at the scheme.”
ENDS
For further information please contact Christine Ashfield at Clanmil Housing on 028 9087 6000 or 075 951 18122.
Notes to Editors:
- Clanmil Housing is a leading housing associations and currently owns and manages almost 3,500 homes throughout Northern Ireland including family homes, homes for single people, independent living schemes for older people, housing with care for frail older people and supported housing for older people with dementia. Clanmil aims to provide high quality homes at the lowest possible economic rent for everyone in housing need.
- The Housing Council is consulted by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Department for Social Development on all matters that affect housing policy in Northern Ireland. The Housing Council is made up of one representative from each of the 26 District Councils in Northern Ireland.
- The homes are built to built to Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Housing making them up to 40% more energy efficient than standard houses, to Lifetime Homes standard, ensuring they will continue to meet tenants’ needs as they grow older or their mobility needs change, and to the Secured by Design standard which, in consultation with the PSNI, focuses on introducing security features at the design and construction stage.
