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Kerrier: TV SPOTLIGHT FOR CORNISH HOUSING BREAKTHROUGH

A Cornish company’s success in helping to combat the housing crisis facing young home-seekers is to be highlighted in a television documentary.


Vyvyan’s Court, a 56-flat complex being built at North Roskear Road, Camborne, by Redruth-based Affordable Homes of Cornwall Ltd (AHOC), has been selected for showcasing in a half-hour programme for the new Parliamentary Diary TV.

The new TV station is the successor to the previous intranet and email network that circulated information within Westminster about central and local government initiatives.

A DVD of the programme – presented by Michael Buerk and highlighting AHOC as a provider of innovative affordable housing solutions – will be distributed throughout Britain to up to 14,000 individuals and organisations.

These will include MPs, senior civil servants, local, education, health and housing authorities and surveyors, property agents, advisors and members of the public.

AHOC was selected by the programme’s research team as an outstanding example of a company working closely with local authorities to interpret and activate government initiatives, resulting in much-needed regeneration with the provision of good quality new homes for local people on low incomes and key workers.

Contributors praising AHOC in the programme include one of the first-time buyers at Vyvyan’s Court, 29-year-old Sam Dixon, whose interview was part of a day-long filming programme that also took in another proposed AHOC development at the former Pednandrea mining site in Redruth town centre.

As part of the new TV station’s “21st Century Britain” series, the programme will be entitled “Sustainable Development and Revitalising Communities.”

It will describe Vyvyan’s Court as a typical example of AHOC’s provision of well-designed high specification flats in response to a genuine demand from low income first time buyers, adding that these new homes are being created on a brownfield site in need of redevelopment within a depressed area.




Details of the programme were announced at a Vyvyan’s Court open day for guests including officers and members of local authorities and early purchasers.

In her interview recorded at the same time, Sam Dixon, a student services team co-ordinator at Cornwall County Hall, said Vyvyan’s Court was a “fantastic” opportunity, ending a near three-year search for a home of her own.

“It’s been incredibly difficult – there just wasn’t anything that I could afford – but now I’ve got independence and security at last,” she added.

“I had looked into shared ownership with a housing association on another site but was turned down because they didn’t think I could afford it, which was a bit shocking. Then this came along and it was absolutely perfect - exactly what I wanted and could afford.”

Sue, who currently lives in Pengegon and comes from Portreath, has bought a one bedroom flat with study using AHOC’s pioneering aheadstart4u.com scheme, which has brought the price down to £78,500.

She will be among the first group of buyers to move into their new homes at Vyvyan’s Court next month (June).

AHOC managing director David Worlledge told the open day guests: “We are thrilled for Sam and everyone like her and we feel uniquely privileged to have been selected for inclusion in such an important and influential TV programme.

“We are absolutely delighted to be chosen as an example of best practice within our field of expertise. We now have a specialist team that is second to none in this sector and this accolade will encourage us to intensify our efforts to provide many more new homes to give the young people of Cornwall the start in their adult lives that they deserve.”