An affordable housing project created to help Lake District families onto the housing ladder has been praised by Copeland MP Trudy Harrison.
The Above Derwent Community Land Trust’s landmark first development – Pow Wood in Portinscale – is now complete and all four semi-detached homes have been allocated to families with local connections.
Mrs Harrison first visited the site at the outset of the project in 2020 and has now enjoyed a return visit to see the finished homes. Offered for sale at 40 per cent shared ownership, the three-bedroom homes have a garden and two parking spaces.
Mrs Harrison said: “I’d like to thank the trust for inviting me to visit again, and it was a pleasure to see the finished homes that will provide quality housing in a beautiful setting for local families for generations to come.
“I commend members of the trust who have worked so hard to achieve this milestone, and I look forward to their future developments.”
The trust was born out of concern in the parish about the lack of affordable housing and the number of second homes and holiday lets.
The trust develops and manages its homes, acting as long-term stewards to ensure they remain affordable and with priority given to local families.
Don Thoburn, trust chairman, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to have Trudy visit the site to see the completed project.
“Trudy was amazed at the views of Skiddaw from the houses, and the fact that all the houses have helped local families get a foot on the housing ladder.”
