Latest news with #housing development
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Sheep used as lawn mowers at social housing development
A housing association has brought a taste of rural life to a seaside town by using a small flock of sheep to keep the grass on one of its sites under Conwy housing association plans to build 48 new homes on land where a range of former government office buildings have stood empty since much of the four and a half acre site, in Rhos on Sea, Colwyn Bay, which is surrounded on all sides by existing housing, is grass which would need to be cut on a regular basis until work on the new housing scheme begins."It was apparent, given the vastness of the site, that we needed to be having some sort of sustainable maintenance of the site whilst we developed our plans," said Dan Hall from Cartrefi Conwy. "So this fitted in with our carbon neutral agenda. But also it was a low noise, cost-effective way of maintaining the land."The former government buildings were originally built in the final years of World War Two for use as an emergency hospital but were never needed. Instead, for 70 years, they were used by government departments as offices."There's good fencing here," said Gethin Davies, a farmer from the village of Llansannan 13 miles away, whose sheep are now chewing their way around the site."We come down about twice a week, just to double check on them, and to make sure the water is running right." The sheep will be heading back to the hills in late October when the grass growing season comes to an end."I don't mind the sheep at all," says Tracy Baguley, whose garden backs on to the land where the sheep are grazing. "I quite like hearing them. It's better than all the traffic - that's for sure."I feel like I'm in the countryside. We look over the hedges quite often just to see the sheep. We like it - we get a taste of the countryside."And with planning for the new homes still to be completed and approved, there's every chance that the sheep will back next spring to continue their low-key gardening work for at least one more season.
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Fredericton opening 20-unit seniors housing complex this fall
David Hickey is pictured speaking at a lectern in front of housing development. (Source: Province of New Brunswick) A new public housing development in Fredericton will expand access to affordable housing, said the New Brunswick government in a news release Thursday. The 20-unit seniors complex on Charles Avenue is almost finished and expected to welcome residents in the fall, said the release. The units are coming when finding an affordable place to live is very challenging, said David Hickey, the minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation. 'For a long time, government had gotten out of the business of building new homes,' Hickey said. 'Now it's great to see some of these new public housing developments preparing to accept new tenants.' Work is underway on 127 additional units at 13 sites across New Brunswick. Hickey also recently announced 22 new living spaces would be opening in Miramichi as part of three new housing developments. There are more than 4,600 public housing units in New Brunswick including close to 800 rural and Indigenous units. The housing corporation has several housing programs for renters and property owners. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
The Guardian
21-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Council approves radical Folkestone development amid fears of legal action
One of the biggest and most radical recent seaside redevelopment projects in the UK has been given the go-ahead by planners in Kent despite opposition from residents. The development at Folkestone harbour was approved by a planning committee this week after a two-hour debate. Initial plans had been turned down five months before, but a revised application for 410 homes and 54 commercial units was finally put through by local councillors by a vote of nine in favour, two against and two abstaining. Speaking on the decision to approve, the councillor Adrian Lockwood acknowledged the scrutiny the plans had come under, but said the council 'cannot block the blocks. These are going to be built.' He added: 'We love the harbour and it's hugely successful. I fear we're going to lose some of the amazing things that have been done down there, but I can't see any material reasons to refuse this application and potentially subject this council to legal action.' The company behind the development, Folkestone Harbour and Seafront Development Company (FHSDC), claimed the construction would generate £21m a year for the local economy and create more than 700 long-term jobs. A spokesperson for FHSDC hailed the approval of the development as a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure real, lasting prosperity' for the town that would unlock 'a transformational set of benefits for Folkestone'. Many in Folkestone, however, are unimpressed with the development, feeling that the units will destroy the natural beauty of the town's coast and beachfront. Mark Hourahane, the vice-chair of the New Folkestone Society – a 'voice for the community' – lamented the decision to approve the development, saying the new buildings would 'permanently and irreversibly change the appearance' of Folkestone's seafront. 'Whilst the New Folkestone Society acknowledges there have been minor tweaks to the 'harbour plan' since it was unveiled in 2023, our survey showed that 91% of 1,350 people who took it were against the plans for the plots around the station. We are deeply disappointed that it has now been approved,' he said. There are also concerns about the financial feasibility of the plans. Luxury flats that have already been built on the seafront have not sold well, and a construction on the site of the former Leas Pavilion was paused in March due to apparent financial issues. Tony Vaughan, the MP for Folkestone and Hythe, expressed reservations about the harbour project, echoing concerns that it would not fit into the town's landscape and would be unaffordable for locals. 'The strength of feeling among many local people about the development has been significant and understandable,' he said. 'I think that people worry about the development's impact on the local heritage and character of the seafront, and feel like a development of this nature is not what Folkestone needs when there is a housing crisis in the local area. Folkestone desperately needs more affordable housing.' Folkestone & Hythe district council has been approached for comment.
