LOCAL housing provider Two Rivers has secured thousands of pounds in grants to deliver more affordable housing in the Forest.

The Newent-based association will receive funding from Homes England, Forest of Dean District Council and NHS Gloucestershire to support the delivery of new homes at existing developments in Lydney and Coleford.

A grant has been secured from Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, to build 17 new affordable homes at Marian’s Walk in Coleford. 

The site is a land-led development that Two Rivers Housing owns outright, which will deliver a mix of properties available to rent or buy through the government’s Shared Ownership scheme.

The association has also received £207,772 from the Forest of Dean District Council (FODDC) to build more affordable homes.

Both grants will be used to fund work at Marian’s Walk and support the purchase of 12 additional homes from house builder Crest Nicholson at Mirium Park in Lydney. Two Rivers Housing has been working with Crest Nicolson at the site since 2020 and has already secured 44 affordable homes under a S106 agreement.

A further £90,0000 was also granted from NHS Gloucestershire to enable two of the properties at Marian’s Walk to be built as fully wheelchair accessible and adaptable for the future needs of tenants with physical disabilities.

The rest of the properties - excluding first floor flats - will also be built to an accessible and adaptable standard that will help meet the changing need of tenants over their lifetime. 

Grant funding has also been received from Tewkesbury Borough Council to build affordable housing there.

Terri Hibberd, Development Manager at Two Rivers Housing, said: “We have developed fantastic working relationships with Homes England and the local councils with which we work, which has been key to our success in obtaining these grants.

“As a community-focussed housing association, we are committed to increasing the availability of affordable homes across Gloucestershire and the surrounding area.

"These communities are in desperate need of new homes and the funding we have secured will help us meet this need.

"We are incredibly grateful to Homes England, the Forest of Dean District Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council and NHS Gloucestershire for helping build a community where everyone has a warm, safe, affordable home.”

Councillor Adrian Birch, Cabinet Member for Affordable Housing at the Forest of Dean District Council, said: “Delivering affordable and accessible housing for our residents is important for us as a council. So, it’s great to be able to work with our partners at Two Rivers Housing to deliver these much needed homes.

“We’ve already got a great working relationship with the local housing association and have delivered some fantastic affordable, safe, and energy-efficient housing across the district.

"Therefore, I’m looking forward to seeing this partnership continue to deliver for our residents into the future."