On Friday 11 September, Rochester Riverside celebrated the handover of the first affordable housing from Countryside to Hyde, providing further much-needed new homes for Medway.
29 new affordable homes have now been handed over to Hyde, which is managing the new homes, with an additional 29 homes to be handed over by the end of 2020. These 58 affordable homes will comprise 29 for shared ownership and 29 for social rent. These are the first affordable homes to be completed at Rochester Riverside, which will comprise 25% of the 1,400-home development when fully complete.
The handover event was attended by the Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Alan Jarrett, Steve Rundle (Project Director at Countryside) and Lorna Sadgrove (Lead Construction Project Manager at Hyde).
Delivered by Countryside and Hyde over 12 years, Rochester Riverside is also delivering a new primary school, nursery, hotel, 2.5km river walkway, commercial units, parking, green open spaces, play areas and landscaping.
The development continues to progress rapidly, following the move of the first residents into their homes a year ago and the start of construction in February 2018. 157 homes have now been completed and occupied at the development, comprising one- and two-bedroom apartments and three- and four-bedroom homes.
Ensuring our residents have a great choice of homes
Cllr Alan Jarrett, Leader of Medway Council, said: “I am delighted that the first affordable homes have been completed in Medway’s flagship development. There is a huge demand for new houses in Medway and we remain committed to ensuing our residents have a great choice of affordable and luxury homes. Rochester Riverside is in a fantastic location and has a lot to offer the community and is a real asset to Medway. I look forward to watching the community continue to grow and thrive.”
Providing much-needed homes
Guy Slocombe, Chief Investment Officer at Hyde, said: “We’re proud to have delivered these much-needed homes in Medway together with Countryside and Homes England and with tremendous support from the Council. The quality of the new homes is second to none and our new residents will also benefit from an enviable location, close to the station and nearby amenities. A high-quality, affordable home is key to a successful and happy life and so we’re looking forward to welcoming more residents to Rochester Riverside this year and beyond, helping local people to get onto the homeowning ladder.”
Delivering a thriving community
Mike Woolliscroft, Chief Executive, Partnerships, Countryside, commented: “Our vision for Rochester Riverside is the delivery of a thriving community in a well-designed and delivered new place. We’re delighted to have handed over the first of many new homes for Hyde and look forward to welcoming new residents to the development. Having started construction back in 2018, what was a derelict brownfield site has already been transformed, with hundreds of new homes, a Travelodge, Co-op and Costa Coffee, and construction of the new primary school commencing later this year.”