HCLT Ovins Rise Development - Latest Updates

From the Trustees - Full Year Report December 2023

Ovins Rise HCLT houses completed at the end of 2022 and were let to local people. In total 19 properties are now held by HCLT, 2 under shared ownership and 17 let to local people.  HCLT 1st project is successful with 19 families re-homed including 18 children. During 2023 the whole site has been completed by Palace Green Homes. During this time the trustees have met regularly to oversee property management and a few completion matters. 

In accordance with FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) regulations the finacial statements for the years ended 2021 and 2022 were audited and received full unqualified audit reports. These audits have endorsed our accounting procedures and policies. The trustees proposed resolutions at the 2022 and 2023 AGM's that 2023 and 2024 financial statements are not to be audited as the Trust meets exemption criteria. 

During 2023 the Bank of England base rate has steadily risen and this meant that for the first time mortgage repayments exceeded rents collected each month and for the first time a small loss was reported for the financial year. While this situation is not ideal the Trust does hold on deposit cash reserves to meet mortgage repayments for the next few yers.

Due to interest rates current at December 2023, no new projects are anticipated for the immediate near future however this position will remain under review. 

From the Trustees - December 2022

Ovins Rise project completed as the last 2 2-bedroomed properties were completed and let to local people. In total 19 properties now held by HCLT, 2 under shared ownership and 17 let to local people.  HCLT Trustees celebrate project success with 19 families re-homed including 17 children.

From the Trustees - 6th Annual AGM 20 September 2022

Review of year discussed. Accounts for year ended 31 March 2022 approved. Trustees re-elected by rotation.

From the Trustees - Update July/August 2022

3 more properties let to local people.

From the Trustees - Update May 2022

In total 12 properties let and 2 held under shared ownership. The last 5 properties due 2022-23. 

From the Trustees - Update September 2021

Mayor Dr Nik Johnson visited Ovins Rise 16 September (pictures in gallery). The childrens play area has been prepared on several levels ready for sedding in the autumn.

Pictures from the 5th AGM 23 August 2021

From the Trustees - Update August 2021

AGM date 23 August 2021 in the Robert Arkenstall School. Year ended 31 March 2021 accounts approved by Trustees prior to AGM.

From the Trustees - Update July 2021

Phase 1 complete, 2 shared ownership and 9 affordable rent properties now under our management/ownership. Press release issued 2 July featuring some of our happy tenants. 

Home England audit completed. Financial projections are on target.

From the Trustees - Update May 2021

​2 shared ownership properties and one 2 bedroomed terraced home were completed during May. We were delighted to be able to welcome residents to our first shared ownership properties. More homes will be completed during June by the end of which phase 1 of the development will be complete. Phase 1 will have provided 9 affordable homes to local people. Phase 2 is projected to start in early 2022.

On 21 May local MP Lucy Frazer visited the site and was shown round a new home ready to be let the following week. Lucy Frazer congratulated all those involved in the development.

Trustee meeting 17 May - discussed shared ownership and property completions, financial projections running to plan, PR, future allocations, and other affordable housing projects in the area.

From the Trustees - Update March 2021

3 more one bedroomed bungaolws were let in February and our first two bedroomed property was let in mid-March. We are delighted to see 6 properties providing accomodation for 11 tenants happily moved in.

Trustee meeting 22 February discussed appointment of new Trustee Stephen Thompson, housing schedule and tenancy position. All Phase 1 properties now have tenants allocated. Financial projections are in line with forecast. Carpets and sheds are being installed to plan. PR has gone to plan and our first newsletter was produced and is being distributed.

From the Trustees - Update January 2021

Exciting news - the first two properties, one bedroomed bungalows were completed in the middle of January and we handed over the keys to our first tenants on 22 January.

Trustee meeting 14 January discussed mortgage completion, loan agreements, grant applications, interior fittings and sheds for the gardens. Dates for completion of house purchase and lettings set for week ending 22 January. PR plan agreed. Allocations of tenacies for properties coming on line in Febraury and beyond discussed, first few tenancies agreed.

The work on the access road is progressing and the contractors are trying to work with minmal disruption. Landscaping work at the top of the site where the first few properties are to be let is being progressed during late January.

Palace Green Homes have advised that the showhome is now complete and furnished.

From the Trustees - Update December 2020

Building work continues apace. Revised projections show that 4 properties should be completed in early 2021 assuming construction work is allowed to continue under Governemnt guidelines. Mortgage negotiations are being finalised. The first few potential tenants have been identified and financial and other checks are underway. House insurance, carpets and sheds and being sourced. New grant sources of finance are being researched and the need for an auditor for the Homes England grant discussed. Palace Green Homes advise potential purchasers for some of the non-CLT houses have been identified. Haddenham Parish Council have agreed to take over responsibility for the footpaths, green spaces and play areas when the site is complete. Site closure 23 December-4 January.

East Cambs District Council were concerned that the name West End Gardens was too similar to the existing road West End which lies adjacent and have accepted the suggestion from the Trustees that the site should be named Ovins Rise. This name refers to Ovin believed to be the steward of Etheldreda East Angilan Queen who lived 636-679AD. A stone plinth called Ovins Stone is sited in Ely Cathedral but was originally found in Aldreth, a replica can be found in Haddenham churchyard.

From the Trustees - Update October 2020

Building work continued after the relaxation of the COVID 19 lockdown, our builders observed strict Government guidelines in respect of social distancing and considerable progress has been made on site. The Trustees visited the site in late July and saw for themselves how many of the houses were developing. Some 1 bedroom bungalows are (as at early October) nearing completion and there is considerable progress with the some of the other properties. We have been agreeing final specifications for interior fittings such as carpets and sourcing garden sheds to provide outside storage for our future tennants. We are moving forward with finalising mortgage negotiations and reviewing applicants for occupancy of our first houses. While in the current climate the development is still subject to delays, we expect to announce more good news over the next few months.

As part of our commitment to the environment we have sourced nesting bricks for swifts (which are declining in the UK but historically have had a stronghold in East Anglia) to be fitted to suitable properties. These bricks provide a safe hygienic nesting site for swifts providing no disturbance to, nor requiring any maintenance from our tennants.

From the Trustees - Site development update May 2020

You will not be surprised to know that due to the COVID 19 crisis the West End Gardens development site was shut down, like most other sites in the country, for safety reasons for a few weeks. With Government restrictions being eased slightly, work has now recommenced on the site.  In the interests of safety this is a gradual process with strict adherence to the health and safety advice given to construction sites by the Government. 

Our developer Palace Green Homes (PGH) have advised us that there may be delays to the delivery of construction materials and this will make progress slower than planned. In addition it is likely that due to the economic downturn, it will take longer to sell the open market houses on the site than the period originally envisaged. It is important to understand that the affordable houses that HCLT are purchasing are being subsidised by the sale of these same open market houses.

The bottom line is that we have been advised that our first house will now be delivered in February 2021. The other 18 houses will then be delivered over a period of 21 months finishing in December 2022. The original plan, which we were working to only a few weeks ago, had our first houses arriving in August 2020 and the final house in August 2021. PGH have emphasised that this is their worst case estimate and are hoping to improve on this schedule.

This is of course a major blow to HCLT and the villages of Haddenham & Aldreth who were supporting us in this venture. We were looking forward to welcoming our first tenants in our first house this August. We were well advanced in preparing a short list of applicants to whom we were going to offer a tenancy in the next few weeks. Clearly these offers cannot now be made so soon and we are contacting all our applicants to advise them of this delay and what will happen next.

Considerable work has been undertaken by HCLT in the last few months behind the scenes and, fortunately, none of this work has been wasted. The Trustees assure you they are just as committed to this project as they were before this unexpected and unfortunate delay. If you are interested in becoming a HCLT Trustee please do come forward. Many of the existing Trustees have now been onboard for many years and as HCLT enters a new era of home management, new blood and new skills are always welcome.

From our developer

West End Gardens, Haddenham - Update 22/05/20

As a general update we commenced back on 11th May and have set the site up to deal with the Covid-19 situation which means a smaller labour force on site.

We have progressed the utilities with the Mains Water now installed along with the HV and LV Electric Supplies, however we have a delay on the new sub station due to UKPN not booking in new installations due to Covid-19. This will again delay the overheads coming down.

The main access road is now surfaced up to the base course and we have all the footings in for the first 22 houses, the brickwork is at different levels of progress on all these plots from sub structure brickwork through to the gables being complete.

The first plot, today, had the roof trusses installed ready for the roof covering to take place and the next 3 plot's trusses will be going on in the next few weeks.

The drainage is also progressing with attenuation tanks and the pumping station moving on.

West End Gardens, Haddenham – Update 06/03/20

Hopefully we have seen the back of the poor weather and the site is starting to dry out a little which will help greatly with progress.

With regards to reporting not a lot has changed a great deal operations wise from last month so the houses and roads are progressing as programmed, walls are being built, roads are being tarmacked.

West End Gardens, Haddenham – Update 17/02/20

We have been working on program for the last month and concentrated on progressing the dwellings themselves.

This has enabled us to excavate and concrete the foundations for the first 12 Plots and we have commenced all the sub structure brickwork for these plots. Plots 1 to 4 have the beam and block flooring and plot drainage installed which in turn has allowed us to commence the superstructure brickwork which you will see coming up quickly over the next few weeks. These 12 plots will progress together at staggered stages.

The site estate roads have now been set out with a view for these to be tarmacked to base course by the end of March 2020 which will be a major milestone on site as it will make the site more accessible for construction and keep the site and area cleaner.

The services have progressed with BT and AWA hopefully completing by the end of March and we are hoping to have the electricity finalised in 16 weeks? time. (This is the lead in for a new substation.)

We still have a lot of challenges ahead and we appreciate the patience and cooperation from the residents of Haddenham, especially our closet ones, and we will of course always try to keep any disruption to a minimum.

Update 31/10/19

Since planning permission was granted in 2018, things have been progressing well on site, including the completion of a second archaeological dig in November 2018. The initial report found evidence of an early Roman  farmstead on part of the site.

The second dig provided a unique opportunity for local residents and children at the Robert Arkenstall Primary School to visit the site to meet with the team of archaeologists. They enjoyed a special day out looking at fragments of animal bone and ancient pottery and learning more about their local village history.

In January 2019, we received some fantastic news that our bid to the Homes England Community Housing fund was successful and have been awarded a grant payment of just over £42,000. This is a great achievement for the CLT and will see vital funds go towards the project. With the help from EC Community Housing we have also been interviewing ethical banks to secure the additional funding needed to purchase the affordable homes when they are completed.

What's Next?

Work began on the enabling works in August 2019 to get the site ready for construction of the site access road and diversions/connections of utility services. Groundworks  are proceeding throughout the Autumn/Winter with construction of the first houses underway in early 2020. The first homes in the development are expected to be ready for occupation in late summer 2020, including the first CLT owned affordable homes. During this time we will be working closely with Palace Green Homes to try to keep disruption from construction activity to a minimum and will be keeping the neighboring residents informed of our progress and proposed works.