hourly 1 1970-01-01T00:00+00:00 Colne Housing Description http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/ Colne Housing 2010 en-uk http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=26 Colchesterbased Colne Housing is driving forwards its ambitious business development plans with promotions for two of its senior staff to support its record growth in the affordable housing sectorMartin Buddery Colnes former Housing Director with ten years service has been promoted to Operations Director responsible for the delivery of housing management and maintenance across all of the Societys homes He will also be the link between Colne Housing and development company Iceni Homes which it coowns with Suffolk Housing Society and Hundred Houses as well as taking an overview of quality and management issues on each developmentMr Buddery says Colne Housing is undergoing considerable expansion in the range and quality of what we are doing both locally and now regionally and the pace is acceleratingThe creation of both of these new posts will enable the Society to remain in the forefront of growth in this sector in the next few years at a time of unprecedented upheaval and changes in the marketColnes Finance Director Lynne Shea is named as its first Deputy Chief Executive and she will also continue in her former roleMs Shea says These new appointments will help support Colne Housing as it proceeds with exciting plans for the futureAs we commit to new projects our recent achievement in receiving 15mworth of funding from Abbey Santander means we are now well placed to give a helping hand to hundreds of local families seeking affordable homesMark Powell Davies Colne Housings Chief Executive said We are confident that both these appointments will reinforce the growth and strength of Colne Housing Both posts confirm the Societys expanding range of activities and will help to sustain the range and quality of affordable housing in our communitiesThe housing association established in 1973 now owns or manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex including Maldon Colchester and Clacton Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=26 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=23 A healthy appetite and taking care of appearances is the key to ColneHousings newest centenarian Charlotte Lawrence who celebrated her 100th birthday with a surprise party in her Colchester homeCharlotte is thought to be one of the oldest residents living in a property managed by Colne Housing Orchard Gardens is one of a number of retirement properties in the county managed by the leading Colchesterbased housing associationCharlotte a former Sergeant Major in the womens branch of the British Army during World War Two said It was amazing I thought I was only going to have afternoon tea and suddenly everyone I know appeared and greeted me with presents and flowers I feel extremely lucky to be surrounded by such kind people and thanks Colne Housing for all the effort they have gone toBirthday girl Charlotte retired from employment at 68 moved to Orchard Gardens when she was 90Orchard Gardens Manager Helen Bilham said It doesnt surprise me Charlotte has reached this milestone She has always been extremely independent and looks fantastic for her ageCharlotte said The key to my youthful appearance is good food I have always had a healthy appetite and I always make the effort to look nice Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=23 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=24 North Essex families looking for affordable homes have been offered a fantastic bonus with the official handing over of a range of affordable new houses and flats on the site of the former Flaktwoods fan factory in ColchesterThe 34 homes which have been developed by leading East of England developer Iceni Homes on behalf of Colne Housing are part of the giant vacated factory complex site for former Woods Air Movement on land which backs on to Colchester North StationThe site comprises a mix of eight threebedroom townhouses 19 twobedroom flats for affordable rent and seven twobedroom flats for intermediate rent at 80 per cent of market rentThe homes were handed over by Iceni Homes to Colne Housing in the presence of the longtime Chief Executive Officer of Woods Air Movement group of companies for 18 years David Priest who is also Chair of the Corporation Board of Colchester InstituteMr Priest joined Colne Housings Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies and Colne Housing Chairman Bill Frame to mark the hand overSaid Mr Priest This site was the home of one of Colchesters most successful companies for nearly a century I am sure that it will now be the home of many happy people and families for many more years to comeThe former Woods Air Movement factory became a worldleader in the engineering of axial fan technology and was merged with Flakt which now boasts a modern engineering facility by the new Weston Stadium where as Flaktwoods it is a centre of excellence for axial fansBuilt by Taylor Wimpey the affordable homes site includes 27 general needs rented units and seven intermediate rented units All the general needs homes have now been let through Colchester Borough Councils Choice based lettings schemeColne Housings intermediate rent arrangement is designed for people who do not qualify to go on local authority housing lists nor can they afford commercial rentsChairman of Colne Housing Bill Frame said We are proud to be able to offer affordable homes to rent on this prestigious site which has terrific access to the station and which is one of the landmark sites in Colchesters recent manufacturing historyColne Housing Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said The Flaktwoods site is another outstanding scheme from Colne Housing which is committed to working to ensure families have the highest quality homes at affordable rentsquot Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=24 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=25 Maldon families have been offered a chance of a home of their own with the official opening of a 1million lovely quiet oasis development of affordable homesLeading housing association Colchesterbased Colne Housing has created the distinctive Quest Place Maldon scheme through East of England developers Iceni Homes working in partnership with Maldon District Council and Explore LivingThe mixedstyle of homes which are in a conservation area and make use of natural materials including slate roofs and timber boarding will be managed through Colne Housing and include the first shared ownership scheme developed by Colne Housing in the areaMaldon District Council Chairman Cllr Sheila Young joined Essex medalwinning Paralympics star for Great Britain Colchesterborn Hannah Strodel who sails out of Maldon and a top team from Colne Housing including Chairman Bill Frame and Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies to officially open the housing scheme in Quest Place Maldon town centreThe new affordable homes scheme on the site of the former Quest garage includes one twobedroom house and a mix of ten flats for rent together with one twobedroom flat at a new level of rent called intermediate rent and one twobedroom flat which is available for shared ownershipThe development also provides Colne Housings first intermediate rent home in Maldon which is designed for people who do not qualify for local authority housing lists but cannot afford commercial rentsOpening the site Cllr Sheila Young said Quest Place is a lovely quiet oasis Maldon District Council has been delighted to work in partnership with Colne Housing and we are thrilled with this wonderful scheme Colne has an excellent track record of providing affordable homes in the area and this is yet another fine example of the Societys workChairman of Colne Housing Bill Frame said We have also been very proud to once again work in partnership with Maldon District Council to build quality homes for local peopleColne Housing Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Schemes like Quest Place are vitally important for people to ensure they have the highest quality homes at affordable rentsThis development also provides Colnes first intermediate rent which is designed for people who do not qualify to go on local authority housing lists nor can they afford commercial rents With this new scheme they will be able to live in lovely homes like this at Quest Place Fri, 08 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=25 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=38 One of Essexs leading providers of affordable housing has been on the hunt for Easter eggs all in the name of charityColne Housing has joined forces with Reed Specialist to donate chocolate Easter eggs to youngsters in childrens homes special needs schools and charities based in the Colchester and Clacton areaSo far staff and residents from the housing association which owns and manages over 2000 properties in Essex have collected over 30 eggs on behalf of the employment agencyGenerous residents from one of Colne Housings sheltered schemes at John King Court in Brightlingsea collected 2560 which allowed the Society to buy a further 16 chocolate eggsColne Housings Resources Manager Lisa Rothery said The generosity and good nature of our staff and residents never ceases to amaze me So far we have surpassed our expectations and hope to collect even more Easter is a time for having fun and at Colne Housing we want to give something back to local children to ensure they have a fantastic Easter Reed Specialists Senior Temporaries Consultant Kat Doughty said Im really pleased with the support Colne Housing has shown us Their donation will put a smile on the face of many local children Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=38 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=39 Colchesterbased Colne Housing Society is looking for new members to join its existing boardThe housing association which owns or manages over 2000 properties throughout Essex is looking for candidates with experience in the financial field preferably accounting and in the social housing sectorSuccessful applicants will have the opportunity to make a contribution to the fast growing charitable organisation that provides affordable homes for those in housing need The Society has assets of over 100 million a turnover of 20 million per year and aims to build some 750 new homes over the next five yearsThe Societys Chairman Bill Frame said Our board performs an integral role in the business and sets the policy and direction for Colne Housing Society We would like to hear from anyone who feels that they have the right background and can bring valuable skills to the board This is an important job and one that carries responsibility but is also very rewardingFor those who would like to learn more about this opportunity please contact the Societys Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies on 01206 244700 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=39 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=40 A leading Colchesterbased housing association is expanding its pioneering private sector leasing scheme to offer new hope to hardpressed families struggling to find homes at affordable rents in Colchester Maldon Tendring Braintree and SuffolkColne Housing launched its private sector leasing scheme 18 months agoThe scheme works by landlords providing their empty properties for a five year lease Colne Housing providing the housing management and taking care of daytoday repairs and maintenance and the local authority providing the tenantsIt has proved so successful with local authorities in Colchester Braintree and Tendring that it is now being extended to new partnerships with Maldon District Council and Suffolk Coastal Council The Suffolk Coastal partnership is the first of its kind between Colchesterbased Colne Housing and a Suffolk local authorityColne has produced a toolkit of legal financial marketing and risk management materials which are now in demand from other local authorities and housing associations The fastgrowing housing association is now being invited to act as consultants to other local authorities who are eager to replicate the service in their own areasRichard Jones Colne Housings New Business and Commercial Manager said Colne Housing is now recognised as a specialist in this area and we have several other local authorities and housing associations coming to us to ask us to act as consultants to set up similar schemes in new areas of the countryWe are delighted to offer this growing expertise in private sector leasing which we feel is the way forward in these current economic circumstances because many landlords are struggling to find long term tenants and many families cannot find quality homes which they can affordThe scheme adds to the options available to local authorities to address their housing needs and links in with other strategies such as homelessness rural needs Supporting People and empty homes initiativesColne Housing already owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex including Maldon Colchester and ClactonFor more information on private sector leasing please visit our Colne Solutions websiteIf you are interested in letting your property through Colne Housing please contact Richard Jones on 01206 244700 or email infocolnehousingcouk Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=40 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=62 Fastgrowing affordable housing provider Colne Housing is ahead of the game in the Governmentled drive to enhance and improve the range of support and guidance provided to smaller local housing associationsColchesterbased Colne Housing has won a new contract to provide a unique management support package to the smaller Witham Housing Association Colne Housing will provide elements of the finance and housing management functions on behalf of Witham Housing AssociationThe contract positions Colne Housing in the forefront of a new Government drive to enhance interagency support and increase the capacity of smaller agencies to deal with a growing workloadThe announcement comes as the Governments national affordable homes agency the Housing Corporation which is responsible for investing in new homes pushes ahead with research to explore the growing needs of small housing associationsResearch into the assistance needed by small housing associations has been commissioned by the Housing Corporation looking specifically at the provision of support for this area Management consultancy Campbell Tickell is carrying out the research which is specifically designed to ensure that the smaller housing associations have the capacity to cope with the increasing demands faced by the sectorJames Tickell of Campbell Tickell adds This contract where a larger housing association is able to extend its expertise to a smaller neighbour is absolutely in line with the preliminary outcomes of our research as one of the optionsWe are looking to find out what kind of support and guidance smaller housing associations can best use and would like more ofColne Housings new contract with Witham Housing Associations shows how this is already starting to happen on the groundThe final report is due out later in the spring and will include the results of a questionnaire which has been sent to every small housing associationWelcoming the announcement Witham Housing Association Vice Witham Housing Association Chairman Margaret Robbins said Our Association was founded and has thrived on the support of a carefully selected local volunteer committee drawn from the professionsAs a small provider we have recognised a growing need to contract in sectorspecific skills to maintain key processes obtain advice on legislative changes and access other evolving information channels such as Supporting People funding and trainingThis important change in our traditional modus operandi integrates with our current business plan and familybased ethos and facilitates the niche provision of our own local brand We are all excited about the benefits this will bring and look forward to working with Colne HousingColne Housings new Business and Commercial Manager Richard Jones saidColne is proud to be setting the pace in enhancing and extending the range of support and professional expertise which is able to provide to other smaller housing associations and voluntary sector organisationsOur experienced inhouse team will work to ensure that smaller housing associations are gearing up for the increasing challenges with which they will be facedWe can now offer a wide and increasing range of professional services which we hope other smaller organisations in the East of England will respond positively to Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=62 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=42 The current economic crisis and the affect it will have on the future of affordable housing came under the spotlight at a major housing conference organised by Colchester based Colne Housing SocietyThe conference entitled Affordable homes the next 35 weeks the next 35 years was held at the Weston Homes Community Stadium Colchester Unitedaposs new sports stadium and brought together a panel of leading experts including academics housing specialists and parliamentariansThe panel was headed by Dr Phyllis Starkey MP Chair of the Select Committee for Communities and Local Government and included Professor Michael Sherer Director of the Business School at the Essex University Helen Williams Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods from the National Housing Federation and Barbara McLellen Regulation Account Manager from the Tenant Services AuthorityDr Phyllis Starkey MP voiced how important organisations such as Colne Housing are especially in todays housing market She said There is a huge need for social housing because there are a very large proportion of households who can not afford to buy in the open marketColne has an excellent reputation They are very well rooted within their community and are aware of local peoples needs Colne Housings Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Colne is a community based housing association that believes in putting its residents first We are very aware of the need for more affordable homes especially in the current difficult economic circumstances Our conference concentrated on this need and we are delighted that so many different people and organisations who we partner with were able to attend We will continue to work with our stakeholders to deliver more quality homes across EssexThe event was hosted by BBC Look East presenter Stewart White The conference also concluded Colnes 35th anniversary celebrations To mark this occasion one of the Societys founders Michael Siggs launched his new book entitled 35 Years of Colne Housing A personal Memoir to reflect on the history of Colne and its achievements Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=42 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=43 Some of the countrys leading figures from the world of social housing will take centre stage at a major conference on the future of affordable housing in Colchester next week Friday 6 MarchOrganised by Essex housing association Colne Housing which is celebrating its 35th anniversary the highlevel conference will bring together national figures on the housing scene and local experts to discuss the growing importance and expanding future of affordable housing over the next three decadesSpeakers include a range of academics and social housing specialists including leading politician Dr Phyllis Starkey MP Chair of the Select Committee for Communities and Local Government Professor Michael Sherer Director of the Business School at the Essex University Helen Williams Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods from the National Housing Federation Neil Kelly from the Homes amp Communities Agency and Barbara McLellen an Advisor from the Tenant Services Authority TSAColne Housings Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said We are very proud of our achievements at Colne Housing We have seen many changes in the housing market over the years and now we want to ensure that we are ready for the future so we can have another successful 35 years Hosted by BBC Look East presenter and TV personality Stewart White the conference titled Affordable Housing the next 35 weeks the next 35 years will take place on Friday 6th March at the Colchester United Weston Homes Community StadiumThe conference will also mark the launch of a new book on the history of Colne 35 Years of Colne Housing A Personal Memoir written by Michael Siggs one of the original founders of Colne HousingAmongst the specially invited guests will be many of Colnes partners and stakeholders together with local builders and contractors who have worked closely to achieve the growth and success of Colne Housing since its launch in 1973 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=43 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=44 A writers circle in Jaywick has been awarded a grant to help local residents foster their creative writing talents and to fulfil their dreams of becoming published authorsLeading Essex housing association Colne Housing decided to award the group 250 towards the hire of the room and materials because it was felt that Jaywick often misses out when it comes to receiving grants to improve the communityThe money was awarded from Colnes community fund which supports projects in the local areas in which the Society works Colnes Deputy Chief Executive Lynne Shea says we chose this project as it stood out from the other applications It provides the residents not only of Jaywick but also Clacton and other surrounding areas the opportunity to take partThe group meets every fortnight where former English teacher Judith Wolton and colleague Kate Palmer encourage members to read what they have written to the class and discuss their thoughts Classes include learning how to write short stories and poetryThe idea of the writing circle stemmed from a book club that Kate runs at the local village hall Kate says after the closure of the main library we wanted somewhere to meet and discuss books this led to members of the club wanting to write their own storiesOne member said of the group it is great to have a new interest and to be able to have the chance to take part as there are not many opportunities in the area to do something creativeLocal charity Signpost has also got involved in the project by offering free use of their computers for members of the group to enable them to type up their workColnes Resident Involvement Officer James Scott said of the group It is a really worthwhile project bringing different people together to use their imaginations creatively Members not only benefit from Judith and Kates experience but from bouncing ideas around the group which can only further cultivate their literary ambitionsIf you have a local project that could benefit from the Colne Community Fund please email ccfcolnehousingcouk or call 01206 244719 for an application formIf you are interested in joining the writing circle or book club please contact Judith on 01255 428532 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=44 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=45 One of Colchesters leading housing providers has expanded its collaboration with regional charity Autism Anglia by handing over a new property for people who have autism to live inColne Housing Society who has provided the charity with six properties since 2006 has now housed 17 residents with autism and the associated Aspergers SyndromeColne Housing Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said I am really pleased about the growth and development of the partnership between Colne Housing and Autism Anglia The more properties we provide maintain and manage for Autism Anglia the more people we can support togetherAutism Anglias Chief Executive Clive Stobbs said We enjoy an excellent relationship with Colne Housing and are delighted that the collaboration is working so well We look forward to the partnership continuing to thrive for many yearsThe two organisations have plenty in common as they both celebrated turning 35 last year and are neighbours at the Riverside Office Centre in ColchesterAutism Anglia formerly known as Essex Autistic Society provides education support and care for people suffering from these conditionsBy joining forces with Autism Anglia Colne Housing has provided people with autism with secure homes enabling them to learn and interact with each other whilst receiving the appropriate careTheir latest property in Stanway Colchester will be a close knit community housing three tenants where they can maintain their independence whilst receiving the help they need Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=45 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=46 One of the largest affordable housing providers in Colchester has been celebrating after achieving the Investors in People status for the third timeStaff at Colne Housing gathered together to see the unveiling of the new plaque which was revealed by Colchester MP Bob RussellHe says I came here initially in 2003 and I think its a remarkable achievement of consistency over the years to not only gain the status but to retain it on two further occasions This is a wonderful accolade for each member of staff Colne Housings Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies says Its important to invest in our staff through training and development to ensure they provide the best service to our residentsThe Investors in People status is not the only honour Colne Housing has received for its level of service Last year the company scooped the award for its staff training and development at the Essex Business AwardsEmployees at the fast growing housing association receive extensive training and support to enable them to improve their level of service to residents and progress within the companySupported Housing Manager Clare Lawrance has been promoted twice in eight years service after successfully completing numerous learning programmes She says Colne has supported me for eight years The support and training I have been given here has developed my career and helped make me more confident both personally and professionally Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=46 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=47 Residents across Colne Housingaposs sheltered accommodation raised a glass for a double celebration this weekNot only were the residents at Alderman Howe Lodge in Colchester getting merry over Christmas they were also celebrating the Societys 35th AnniversaryAnn Matthews is the retirement scheme officer at Alderman Howe Lodge Weve incorporated the Christmas party with celebrating 35 years of Colne Housing Its a party a time to get together and its a good opportunity for staff at Colne to meet up with some of the residents on a social levelThe residents who are aged between 60 to 95 years old got into the party spirit with plenty of food and drink on handElizabeth Hogg 87 has been at Alderman Howe Lodge for 20 years Itaposs good to get together once in a while we dont really spend quality time with our neighbours that often this way we are all together enjoying ourselvesColne Housing has held a range of parties across all their sheltered housing schemes including Orchard Lodge in Tiptree John King Court in Brightlingsea and Quay Courtyard in Manningtree Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=47 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=48 Colchesterbased Colne Housing Society has donated a real Christmas cracker to the charity it has adopted during its 35th anniversary yearThe fastgrowing Society handed over a Christmas card with a 500 donation to Brain Tumour UK as Colne near the end of its yearlong fund raising programme The housing association decided to forego sending out Christmas cards and instead donated the cash to the charity which supports research into brain tumour care and treatmentsBrain Tumour UKs community fund raiser Trudy Thomas received the donation from Mark Powell Davies Chief Executive of Colne HousingSaid Trudy we are all so appreciative of what Colne has done throughout the year to raise money for us and to receive the 500 Christmas card donation is amazingMark Powell Davies added It has been a pleasure raising funds for such a worthy charity throughout 2008 we have made our 35th anniversary special for someone other than ColneThe society which owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex selected the national charity Brain Tumour UK in memory of 23yearold Hollie Bell from Great Bentley who was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year Despite extensive treatment Hollie died in JuneHollie was the daughter of Colneaposs Housing Officer Lesley Glover of Great Bentley who continues to raise funds for the charity which supports research into finding a cure for the disease Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=48 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=49 One of the largest affordable housing providers in Essex is celebrating this Christmas after its 35th anniversary fund raising year for Brain Tumour UK has rung up nearly twice the amount of the original cash targetFastgrowing Colne Housings celebration is ending in a glittering finale after a Casino Night held in Colchester Town Hall brought their final fund raising total for the year to 6300The affordable homes specialists year of fundraising began with a modest target of just 3500 But after a number of major moneyraising events including a dress down day a treasure hunt and a sponsored bike ride by senior management the cash has kept rolling inColne Housing Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said When Colne Housing was established 35 years ago our aim was to create more affordable homes and to encourage a wider takeup of the very best in affordable homes across north EssexThis anniversary year has confirmed our leading position in the affordable homes field and the triumph of our fundraising charity work this year shows we are as committed today as we were 35 years ago to helping build strong and viable local communitiesThe success of our programme for the 35th anniversary is testimony to that original aim being achieved whether you judge by the number of homes built the number of people it has helped to house or the way it has helped hundreds of people to enjoy a quality of life that might otherwise not have been possibleColne Housing which owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex including Maldon Colchester and Clacton will be handing over the proceeds of its fundraising success to Brain Tumour UK a charity close to the housing associations heartsColne Housing officer Lesley Glover tragically lost her daughter after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year Hollie Bell from Great Bentley was just 23 years old when she died in June Now her mother Lesley continues to raise funds for the charity which supports research into finding a cure for the diseaseLesley said I am so grateful to Colne for choosing Brain Tumour UK as their charity of the year not only are they supporting a worthwhile charity but they are also supporting me as an employee and I am pleased for all they have done to help research a cure Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=49 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=50 Young parents and babies at Maldons Children Centre enjoyed a special Christmas cuddle as Santa dropped in to help them celebrate a Colne Housingstyle ChristmasOne of the countyaposs leading providers of affordable homes Colne Housing Society which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year helped make Christmas arrive early for a group of young parentaposs in Maldon as Santa delivered presents for every babyCelebrating with Santa is Great Totham mum Hayley Boulter aged 26 and her oneyearold daughter Anya seen here with Santa who formerly lived in a Colne flat whilst she received support and has now moved on to her own homeHayley is one of more than 20 young parents who have received support from Colne Housing in the last 18 monthsAlthough sheaposs now settled in her own home Hayley still regularly visits the Baby Caf a mother and baby group established especially for young parents by Sure Start and Colne HousingNow Colne Housing Society is reaching out even further by running a first aid course for young parents helping extend their skills and improve their employment prospects The programme called Building Blocks begins in January in Maldon and may be repeated later in the year If you are interested in knowing more or would like to register your interest for future sessions call Support Worker Steph Waller on 0787 2033 299The course which begins on Friday 9 January is open to all young parents in the Maldon area to enable them to deal with emergency situationsFor more information contact Steph Waller on 0787 2033 299 or Talullah from Sure Start on 07837 237 965 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=50 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=51 Tackling antisocial behaviour checking on the vulnerable and running dance classes for young people are all part of a days work for Community Street Wardens in ColchesterIn its 35th anniversary year Colchesterbased Colne Housing one of the largest affordable housing providers in Essex is sponsoring patrols in the Greenstead area of St Annes ward and the Timber Hill Hythe Quay and Albany Gardens areas of Harbour wardAccredited by Essex Police the wardens are empowered to tackle low level antisocial behaviour and can issue enforcement notices and fixed penalties for offences like dog fouling littering and underage drinking and smokingBut according to Community Street Warden Supervisor Cassandra Fallows policing is just a small part of the jobBeing a Community Street Warden is about far more than just ticking people off over petty offences Our wardens also look in on the elderly and the vulnerable We intervene in neighbour disputes We watch out for flytipping We supervise local allotments and lend out gardening equipmentWe even arrange projects for young people such as litter picks and dance classes No two days are ever the same and its a hugely rewarding jobColne Housing Officer Lesley Glover says This joint initiative is a really important part of the service we offer both to our own residents and the broader community The Community Street Wardens play a vital part in ensuring our residential areas are a safe and happy place to liveA total of ten wardens patrol seven wards of ColchesterColne Housing owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex including Maldon Colchester and Clacton Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=51 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=52 A chain coming off and near defeat by a steep hill were among the challenges for three Colne Housing Society directors who rode 35 miles to mark Colne Housings 35th anniversary and raise the fantastic total of 900 for Brain Tumor UKColne Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies Housing Director Martin Buddery and Finance Director Lynne Shea cycled from their headquarters in Colchester to their furthest flung property Priors Court in Southminster in just four hoursLynne Shea It was a demanding ride especially going up Maldon Hill which meant getting off and pushing And my chain came off before wed even left Colchester But it was worth it to be able to support this important charity and to demonstrate that Colne Housing is truly localThe money was raised from members of staff suppliers and partner groups Colne Housing has pledged all its fundraising during its 35th anniversary year to Brain Tumour UK which is dedicated to improving life for adults and children affected by brain tumoursThe housing society which owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex selected the national charity in memory of 23yearold Hollie Bell from Great Bentley who was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year Despite extensive treatment Hollie died in JuneHollie was the daughter of the Societys Housing Officer Lesley Glover of Great Bentley who continues to raise funds for the charity which supports research into finding a cure for the diseaseFurther information on Brain Tumour UK can be found on their websiteIf you would like to make a donation please visit Lesleys Just Giving page at wwwjustgivingcomlesleyglover55 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=52 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=53 Casino tables champagne cocktails a silent auction and a Sean Connery lookalike will be the highlights of a celebration night for Colchesterbased Colne Housing in aid of its chosen charityThe fastgrowing Society reaches the end of its year long fundraising programme for its special 35th anniversary year with a Casino Night spectacular in Colchester Town Hall which will open its doors at 730pm on Saturday 29 NovemberTickets are now selling fast for Colne Housings Charity Casino night in the Moot Hall which will raise funds for Brain Tumour UK They are on sale from Colne Housings event team through Hayley Owen on 01206 244719 or email hayleyowencolnehousingcoukColnes 35th anniversary year has been marked with a range of events involving staff tenants and the wider community Many local businesses have already supported the Casino Night event by sponsoring the eveningTickets for the spectacular evening are now on sale at 20 each to include a complimentary glass of champagne on arrival buffet free Colne money to play the tables and disco for the evening Doors open at 730pm and the disco continues til midnightColne Housing has pledged all its fundraising during its 35th anniversary year to Brain Tumour UK which is dedicated to improving life for adults and children affected by brain tumoursThe Society which owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex selected the national charity Brain Tumour UK in memory of 23yearold Hollie Bell from Great Bentley who was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year Despite extensive treatment Hollie died in JuneHollie was the daughter of Colneaposs Housing Officer Lesley Glover of Great Bentley who continues to raise funds for the charity which supports research into finding a cure for the disease Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=53 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=54 Leading Essex housing association Colne Housing Society has appointed Linda Selway to look after its range of sheltered housing development schemesLinda brings a wealth of experience to the Society having previously worked for many years as care manager at St Michaels Care Home ClactonShe will be overseeing the management of Colne Housings six sheltered housing schemes New Farm Lodge and Alderman Howe Lodge Colchester Ironside Walk in Manningtree John King Court in Brightlingsea Orchard Lodge in Tiptree and Colne House in HeybridgeHer appointment marks another expansion at Colne Housing during its 35th anniversary which owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across north Essex including Maldon Colchester and ClactonLinda says Colne has six sheltered housing developments and Im looking forward to getting to know as many of the residents over the coming months as possible because I am committed to making a difference by adding a truly personal touchColne prides itself on emphasizing the needs of the individual person and offering support and commitment to the highest standards of care and I am looking forward to meeting that challengeWelcoming Linda Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Were committed to increasing our residents involvement and participation in our sheltered housing schemes and Linda will bring the personal touch to that important task Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=54 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=55 Greensteads greenfingered residents have reaped the first rewards from the Colne Community Fund CCF which was set up to help projects and organisations that will benefit their local areas by leading Essex housing association Colne HousingMembers of Colchesters Magnolia Community Garden project have received a cheque for 350 from the Fund money which had been put aside for organisations to apply for up to 500 each for special events projects or schemes where people in the community will see and experience a direct benefitIn Greenstead the money will be used to extend the greenhouse used by the residents of Magnolia Drive a selfsupporting scheme created by the elderly and disabled residents of the flats owned by Colchester Borough HomesJoint founder Terry Marshall says the garden had been a neglected wasteland until last year when he began to grow tomato plants on a single strip of land His success and enthusiasm then sparked off the scheme which now grows a full range of produce for the benefit of all the residentsNow the plot is full of seasonal vegetables and the new greenhouse will extend the growing year for the residents and come in handy for increasing the range of cropsHanding over the first CCF cheque during Colne Housing Societys 35th anniversary year Colne Housings Finance Director Lynne Shea said This is a great scheme and we hope that the additional money will really make a difference to them and their local communityThe Society feels strongly when it comes to giving back to the community and this is a great exampleA special panel has been set up to assess each application and decisions will be based on the sustainability of the scheme and the direct impact on local residentsThe panel will be made up of Colne residents board members and staff who will assess each application against strict criteriaIf you have a local project that could benefit from the Colne Community Fund please download an application form email ccfcolnehousingcouk or call 01206 244719 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=55 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=56 Colchesterbased Colne Housing one of the largest affordable housing providers in Essex is celebrating after scoring a hat trick of prestigious business awardsIn the past 12 months the leading housing association has scooped three top awards for excellence in staff training at separate major Colchester and Essex business award eventsColne Housing which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year walked away with the top accolades for staff training and development at both the Newsquestsponsored Colchester Business Awards and the followup countywide Essex Business AwardsThen last month it won the first prize for the staff training programme at the Essex Chroniclesponsored Essex Business AwardsThe trio of awards reflects Colne Housings passion for putting its customers at the heart of everything it does It remains committed to training its staff and providing them with the opportunity to acquire uptodate knowledge skills and qualifications as part of the companys overall business strategyChief Executive Mark Powell Davies says The awards are a tribute to our staff because they are the people who have made it possibleOur staff are our biggest asset and as a leading housing association the investment in ongoing training is integral to our business strategyWinning the awards gives a real boost to our teams who have achieved so much and worked so hard throughout the year We are delighted to receive the recognition of our peers within the business communityEstablished in 1973 Colne Housing owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex including Maldon Colchester and Clacton Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=56 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=57 Private landlords in Maldon and Heybridge are at the heart of a new scheme being launched through a partnership between Colchesters leading affordable housing provider and Maldon CouncilColne Housing which owns and manages more than 2000 affordable homes in north Essex and Suffolk is inviting Maldon and Heybridge landlords to get in touch with them if they have threebedroom houses for long term rentThe first two homes will lead the way to many others which Colne Housing wants to bring on board in Maldon and Heybridge in response to the growing demand for affordable homes for families in the area whilst offering security and guaranteed tenants for local landlordsColne Housing which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year has attracted Housing Corporation funding to secure two threebedroomed homes in Maldon and HeybridgeThe funding means local landlords will have the reassurance of tenants who are selected through Maldon Council paying a guaranteed rent over an extended period of three to five years Colne Housing will also take care of the maintenance and manage the properties on behalf of the landlordsRichard Jones New Business and Commercial Manager at Colne Housing says There is a growing need for threebedroom rented homes for families in Maldon and Heybridge and we are expecting a great deal of interest from local landlordsFor very many local families the dream of buying their own home is further away than ever and that is why we are looking forward to being able to offer them the security of a family home and an affordable rent for up to five yearsLandlords who have three bedroomed properties in Maldon and Heybridge to rent are invited to contact Richard Jones at Colne Housing by calling 01206 244700 or by emailing infocolnehousingcouk Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=57 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=58 Leading Essex housing association Colne Housing Society has expanded again and has appointed James Scott as its first Resident Involvement Officer to encourage residents to have their say in how their communities are runJames will be meeting with Colnes residents across north Essex and he will listen to their views and then feedback to Colne Housing to help it enhance its range of services to more than 2000 affordable homesA former Resources Assistant at the Society for four years James new role was created as a response to the increasing commitment to focusing on residents needsExplains James Encouraging more of our residents to have their say isa crucial part of my new position at Colne I feel it is important that their voices are heard and that they feedback their comments to the SocietyWe know that it is important not just to listen to our residents views but also to act upon themI understand that there are many reasons why residents may feel that they arent able to get involved and I will be working with them to give them theconfidence and the tools to have a say in the decisions that affect themAfter all what better way is there to serve your customers and show you are really listening to them My aim is to increase neighbourliness and community spirit using a range of different methodsChief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Consulting with all our residents to find out their views is especially important if we are to deal with the rapid pace of growth and complexities of issues around affordable housing in the next few yearsWe are committed to increasing our residents involvement and participationColne is proud of being at the forefront of building safe and lasting communities working closely with Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and community groups Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=58 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=59 A revamped playground has been officially opened at a Mile End Colchester recreation ground in a project cofunded by leading Essex housing association Colne Housing to support the growing number of families in new homes in the areaLocal families picnicked and enjoyed free activities at the play area Sunday 14th Sept after Colchesterbased Colne Housing which owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex worked with a number of major funding partners to support the upgrade of the playground facilitiesThe playground relaunch was the latest in a number of events which Colne Housing is organising to mark the Societys 35th anniversaryThe event was coordinated by Community Action in Mile End CAM and involved Places for People a group of residents the Mile End Mums Myland Parish Council and Colchester Borough Council with Colne Housing one of the funding partners of CAMEighteen months ago local families were asked for their views on how to improve the existing play site with its few pieces of aging equipment Swings for older children a roundabout more toddler swings better surfacing more seating and a better climbing frame were some of the most popular suggestionsProject partners worked to attract funding from the Big Lottery Fund of almost 86000 and an appeal to local groups and businesses attracted a further 1000 The winning design was chosen by local families with final modifications decided by the project partnersProject coordinator Colne Housings local Community Development Worker Jo Wheatley said The playground offers a much greater range of equipment and a more challenging play experience now and has seen a huge rise in use since it was finishedWith many hundreds of new homes built over the last few years this new play area helps to meet the needs of families with young children in this growing community Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=59 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=60 About 200 homes in Greenstead owned by leading Essex housing association Colne Housing are set for a major electrical upgrade in time for ChristmasColne Housing is investing 160000 this year for the first phase of a major programme of modernisation and improvements in the electrical installation in its Greenstead properties the upgrade will offer tenants a number of benefits including greater protection increase of electrical sockets for each room with a choice of heights and locations within their own homes where possibleColnes tenants are invited to attend an open event on Tuesday 16 September from 12 noon to 7pm at Forest Road Community Centre Greenstead to see for themselves the new consumer units and accessories Electrical experts will be on hand to answer questions and to give advice on possible choicesThe electrical investment is the latest upgrading scheme in the 35th anniversary year at the Society The first phase will begin later in September and is expected to last for 13 weeks The project is being managed by consultants David Mills and Partners and will be carried out by Evans and Shea Ltd The electrical company was awarded the contract after a competitive tenderColnes Property Services Manager Keith Peirson said We want to work with all of our residents in Greenstead to enable them to choose how the improvements in the electrics will work best for them We are trying to accommodate their needs as part of Colnes strategy of ongoing investment and modernisation of its housing stockConsulting with all our residents to find out their views is especially important to us at Colne and thats why we hope as many residents as possible will come along on Tuesday 16th September to see the new consumer units switches and sockets and to ask questions of our experts Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=60 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=61 Colchesterbased Colne housing is expanding its team with the appointment of Sarah Byham as its specialist coordinator to support the firms work with private sector landlords throughout north Essex and SuffolkSarah aged 22 from New Town Colchester already has an expert eye for the thriving North Essex rental market having spent time working in a temporary position at Colne during her studies at Essex UniversityThe Sudburyborn graduate now joins the Society where she will deal with all aspects of its work with private landlords working closely with local authorities tenants and landlords to broker good contacts between themSays Sarah Colne offers a full range of services from finding tenants through to rent collection and fully managed services so I am glad to be working for a company which will help me to gain allround experience of this important sectorRichard Jones New Business and Commercial Manager said We are delighted to welcome Sarah to the Society She brings her enthusiasm for providing the best quality homes for local people and her knowledge of the lettings market at a time of great demandShe will strengthen our already thriving team and support it in its work with both our new and existing clientsColne Housing offers landlords a range of packages designed to minimise voids in tenancies and promote guaranteed tenancies including a package offering them a long term lease and guaranteed realistic levels of income for a period of up to five yearsFor more information and to contact Colne Housing call 01206 244700 or email infocolnehousingcouk Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=61 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=97 Colchesterbased Colne Housing has paid tribute to the woman who has been the driving force behind the growth of over 2000 local affordable homes over 26 yearsColnes Development Director Sandra Howard of West Mersea acclaimed as the public face of Colne Housing is retiring after 26 years of close involvement with the growth of Colne Housing Society in Essex and south SuffolkSandra worked on very many of the schemes owned and managed by the fastgrowing Colne Housing Society including exciting developments in Tenterfield Road Maldon the Dedham doctorsapos surgery which was part of a rural exceptions scheme for affordable housing Priory Meadows in St Osyth and East Hanningfield near ChelmsfordHer retirement at the end of July coincides with the Societys 35th anniversaryShe is retiring from her posts as both Development Director for Colne and Regional Development Director for Iceni Homes a joint venture between Colne Cotman and Suffolk Housing SocietiesAt a retirement reception held at Colchester Arts Centre Thursday 31 July attended by about 100 friends and colleagues Sandra described how her work for both Colne Housing and East of England developers Iceni Homes had happily combined the two driving forces in her lifeSaid Sandra Working with both Colne and Iceni has allowed me to have a very satisfying career combining my interests in the built environment which I inherited from my family with my determination to do what I could to help people have homes of their ownMy work for Colne Housing and Iceni Homes has been a terrific opportunity for me to bring together these two driving forces working with other organisations and partners to provide affordable homes for so many people in North Essex and beyondPaying tribute to Sandras commitment Colne Housings Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Sandra has played a major part in the development of Colne Housing and the provision of quality affordable homes in north Essex Her contribution has been outstanding and we shall miss her hugely but wish her well in retirementSandra played an increasingly large part in the expansion of Colne Housing Society since she joined in 1982 when the organisation looked very different At that time it had just eight staff and 443 homes with a turnover of 500000 and assets of 6mToday the Society has 50 staff managing more than 2000 homes with a turnover of more than 10m annually and assets of nearly 100mSandra qualified as a housing professional in 1968 worked in a variety of roles with Islington and moved to Ipswich Borough Council as Principle Housing Officer in 1974She was appointed to Colne Housing Society in 1982 as Administrative Assistant and quickly promoted to take responsibility for development Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=97 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=63 A unique move to make it easier for more North Essex young people to take up a new career in construction in the New Year is being offered by Colchesterbased Colne Housing and the Haven GatewayThe leading East of England housing association which owns or manages nearly 2000 affordable homes in North Essex is setting up ten new apprenticeships for its younger residents who want to work within the construction industry The first programme will begin in JanuaryThe apprenticeships will be jointly funded by Colne Housing and the Haven Gateway they will also offer the opportunity for participants to gain a Construction Skills Certification Scheme card which is vital for working on EU construction sitesOnly one week after the news of the scheme went out to residents nearly 20 have shown an interestColne Housings Finance Director Lynne Shea says that Colne Housing is committed to quality training not only for its own staff but for residents and the wider construction sector on which the future of affordable housing dependsSaid Lynne The exceptional offer of ten construction apprenticeships is a new venture for Colne Housing We will be one of a very limited number of housing associations in the country who are set up to offer an apprenticeship scheme and to invest in the future of our residents and local industry in this wayConstruction is a priority sector for North Essex and there is great demand for qualified workers Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=63 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=64 Britains first woman to reach the summit of Everest Rebecca Stephens MBE made a special guest appearance to open a new young families unit for parents and their babies in Heybridge near MaldonThe four apartment scheme has been built by one of the leading affordable housing providers in Essex Colne Housing The site in Everest Way has been named Stephens House after the famous mountaineerChairman of Colne Housing Bill Frame said It is an honour to have Rebecca open Stephens House as she is such an inspiration to everyone but especially young women We are very proud of this young families unit as it provides an essential service to help get people started in life We have also had some excellent partnership working with Maldon District Council and Essex County Council Supporting People to make this scheme become a realityStephens House was built at a cost of 410000 and the apartments are designed to create a homely and stable environment for young lone parents aged 16 to 25 It will enable them to develop life skills which will help them to live more independently in the communityRebecca Stephens signed a special picture of Everest as a lasting memento of her visit and also signed copies of her book for the residents She said These homes are so important to improving the lives of people and it is wonderful to meet everyone here We all have personal goals and raising a family is a very special commitment I am delighted to open this scheme and cant believe its been named after me what an honourStephens House offers short term housing and the young women are also encouraged to gain confidence and life skills to help them to move on quickly to permanent homesStephens House is in good company with a number of the roads nearby named after other famous mountaineers such as Tensing and Hilary Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=64 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=65 Colchesterbased Colne Housing one of the largest affordable housing providers in North Essex has scooped first prize for its outstanding staff training and development after being judged by an illustrious panel of experts at a prestigious business award ceremonyColne Housing won the top accolade on its debut appearance at the Newsquestsponsored Colchester Business Awards Its winning team will now be entered into the countywide Essex Business Awards which take place at an Oscarstyle awards ceremony next SpringThe winners plaque was presented to Colne Housing to honour the companys passion for training its staff and providing them with the opportunity to acquire uptodate knowledge skills and qualifications as part of the companys overall business strategyChief Executive Mark Powell Davies said It is wonderful to win this award on the first occasion we enteredIt will give a real boost to our teams who have achieved so much and worked so hard throughout the year We are delighted to receive the recognition of our peers within the business communityOur clear focus has always been to put our customers first and we have invested significantly in ensuring we have the right technology and highly trained staff in place to deliver an outstanding serviceMost companies will agree that people are an organisations biggest asset but at Colne Housing we really believe it We realise the importance of having good training and development strategies in place for all of our staffWe know Colne Housings strength lies in the quality of its service and the people who make that possibleColne Housing which owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex is committed to providing a challenging supportive and rewarding work environment for staff There is a programme for all staff to undertake training job shadowing mentoring and coaching This has resulted in a number of internal promotionsThis culminates in increased motivation and performance which is a win win for Colnes staff its business and its customers Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=65 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=66 Colne Housing one of the largest affordable housing providers in North Essex is strengthening its support to families with housing needs with the appointment of a new trainee housing officerTrainee housing officer Laura Twitchett has taken over the management of some 150 houses owned by Colne Housing whilst she is working towards a Diploma in HousingAs a trainee Laura focuses on all aspects of housing management including supporting tenants and acting as a signpost for those who may need additional help and contact from other specialists agenciesSays Colchesterborn Laura aged 22 There is more to this job than being given a number of houses to look after Its about making sure the tenants are managing that they have the basic needs of a home and noticing if they dontIts easy just to think someones issues are solved when they move into an affordable home but the important thing is to realise they may have further and more complex needs As a trainee housing officer I know there is more to the job than just providing a house its about making sure the tenants have the full range of support they may needThis job is not so much finding out about property as finding out about people And if I cannot always help them then knowing who can Laura is the latest in a number of housing trainees supported by Colchesterbased Colne Housing which now owns or manages over 2000 affordable homes throughout North EssexColne Housing is committed to ongoing staff training both for the Societys own future needs and the needs of the burgeoning affordable housing sectorChief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Our growing strength in training is especially important if we are to deal with the rapid pace and complexities of issues around affordable housing in the next few yearsWe know this is an expanding area and we want to remain at the forefront of training as the issue rises up the political agenda Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=66 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=67 One of the regions largest housing associations Colne Housing has welcomed the latest news that the number of affordable homes in the East of England looks set to more than double The announcement was made by The East of England Regional Assembly EERAChief Executive of Colchester based Colne Housing Mark Powell Davies said This is extremely good news as we are currently very short of affordable housing in Colchester and the rest of the region We are pleased that the affordable homes announcement from EERA includes those for rent or partpurchaseHe continued We understand the obligations on us and other housing associations to provide housing at less cost per home and we are lucky at Colne to be financially strong and to be working with Iceni Homes our development company to ensure we keep costs down thus enabling us to provide more high quality properties for peopleColne Housing will bid to secure more affordable homes for Colchester mid and north Essex The announcement from EERA will see the numbers of affordable homes grow in the region from approximately 4000 in 20056 to 9000 a year by 2011 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=67 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=68 Thousands of people who are unable to afford to get onto the housing ladder could be left out in the cold if housing associations fail to persuade private landlords to come forward in enough numbers to rent out their propertiesThe warning comes as the number of repossessed homes looks set to increase to levels not seen since the 1990s house price crashAs the Council of Mortgage Lenders warns the number of repossessions is set to rise by 50 per cent next year hundreds of thousands of people are expected to face a homes crunchA surge in the number of private landlords releasing their properties into the affordable housing sector is a vital way to defuse this growing housing time bomb according to one leading East of England Housing AssociationEast of England based Colne Housing is urging private landlords with properties to let to join an innovative new scheme to defuse the growing housing crisis in Essex and SuffolkChief Executive Mark Powell Davies said The housing market is facing its greatest challenge for many years we need to persuade far more local landlords to come forward and play a much greater role in addressing housing needsWe are concerned that as more people will increasingly be unable to juggle family finances and interest rates rise the demand for affordable housing can only go on increasingLocal authorities do not any longer have sufficient council houses and housing associations are not developing at a fast enough rate to meet the needs We need the private sector to work with us to vastly increase the numbers of rented propertiesLast year keys were handed in at more than 17000 homes nationally nearly three times as many as the previous year and the highest figure since 2000Colne Housings consultant behind a new and pioneering scheme the Safe Haven Project Karen Langford says that without greater private landlords involvement local authorities will simply not have enough properties in the future to fulfil their statutory dutiesSays Karen Local authorities have fewer and fewer of their own properties now and people are still coming on to their lists the shortfall is getting worse each yearThe tenants may be homeless people key workers or people who have just registered with the local authority but they all need a home of their own and the key to unlocking this demand is with the private landlordsWe believe that private landlords will need to play a much larger part in providing these homesWeve conducted extensive research among landlords who have been very positive and enthusiastic By leasing properties from the private sector we can provide muchneeded accommodation for people who are desperately seeking new homesColne Housings new Safe Haven Project works in partnership with landlords and local authorities with the help of a grant from the Housing Corporation to provide people in temporary accommodation or on housing waiting lists with longerterm tenanciesThe scheme is one of the first of its kind in the East of England and is likely to be rolled out regionally and nationallyKaren Langford says the Colne Housing Safe Haven scheme provides private landlords with a guaranteed regular income for a period of time up to six years provided they tie up with local authoritiesIn the Safe Haven project the landlords properties are managed by Colne Housing with no management fee and no enrolment fee for tenantsThe Safe Haven Project has been a year in development with Colne Housing working with councils including Babergh Braintree Colchester Ipswich Maldon Mid Suffolk Suffolk Coastal and Tendring as well as the Housing CorporationA toolkit has been developed containing legal financial marketing and risk management materials and is available as a CDrom from Colne Housing on 01206 244700 or via the Safe Haven website wwwsafehavenprojectorguk Landlords can contact Colnes Business and Commercial Manager Richard Jones from further informationColchesterbased Colne Housing established in 1973 now owns or manages over 2000 affordable homes throughout North Essex See wwwcolnehousingcouk Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=68 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=69 A unique toolkit which establishes a model subregional leasing scheme has been put together by a leading East of England housing association in partnership with the Housing Corporation for roll out nationwidePrivate landlords with properties to let anywhere in the UK are being urged to take advantage of this pioneering new scheme to provide people in temporary accommodation or on housing waiting lists with longerterm tenanciesThe blueprint scheme known as the Safe Haven scheme also addresses the present uncertainty in the lettings market because of an over supply of rented accommodation in many areas It will provide a guaranteed income and rental periodThe project has been jointly funded by leading Colchesterbased Colne Housing and the Housing Corporation working with landlords and local authorities Among the advantages of the new scheme is that it minimises the financial and other risks that have been a barrier to successful promotion of previous schemesThe toolkit is available as a CDrom from Colne Housing on 01206 244700 or via the Safe Haven website wwwsafehavenprojectorguk Landlords can contact Colnes Business and Commercial Manager Richard Jones from further informationThe CD toolkit provides legal financial marketing and risk management materials allowing the project to be rolled out regionally and nationally It will thus help to inform the Housing Corporations future investment strategiesMark Powell Davies Colne Housings Chief Executive said At a time when the lettings market is facing a great deal of uncertainty with over supply of rented accommodation in many areas we will provide a guaranteed income and rental periodWe will also undertake all necessary repairs and maintenance and coordinate the legalities and logistics between local authorities and landlords Its a winwin situation all roundThe scheme works by offering the chance for owners of empty properties to provide the homes the housing association provides the housing management and takes care of daytoday repairs and maintenanceColne housings Business and Commercial Manager Richard Jones says Its recognised that accommodation in the private rented sector is a valuable resource and private sector leasing offers another housing option to those seeking accommodationPrivate sector leasing enables individual landlords to manage their stock and we want to work with private landlords and LAs to offer a real alternativeThe Safe Haven Project has been a year in development with Colne Housing working with councils including Babergh Braintree Colchester Ipswich Maldon Mid Suffolk Suffolk Coastal and Tendring as well as the Housing Corporation Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=69 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=70 Colchesters Colne Housing Society has appointed two new Housing Officers to take over responsibility for its homes in key locations in Colchester and ClactonClare Bennett is the newlypromoted Colchester Housing Officer with responsibilities for Colne Housings properties located in parts of New Town and the Hythe she deals with responsibilities ranging from antisocial behaviour to car parking problems and house maintenance issues for Colne Housings customers in those areasColchesterborn Clare is a former pupil at St Benedict School with two children she has previously worked for two years in Colne Housings customer services departmentClare said My new position as a Housing Officer is a great thrill for me I see it as an exciting extension of my work with customer care at Colne Housing where I so much enjoyed dealing directly with our customersColnes new Clacton Housing Officer is Karen Embleton one of two Colne Housing Officers in Clacton and she also covers parts of ColchesterKaren of Tollesbury near Maldon brings to the Clacton post more than ten years experience as a Housing Officer for local authorities and other housing associations She has a BSc in housing studies and she is a Certified Practitioner for the Chartered Institute of HousingKaren joined Colne Housing in a temporary position in June and is now a full time Housing OfficerSaid Karen Its great to be joining a leading housing association at a time of tremendous growth in the sector and with so much emphasis now being given to social housing and the need for more affordable homesChief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Karen and Clare bring with them to these posts many years of experience of working with people and an enthusiastic commitment to social housingWere sure they will make valuable members of the expanding Colne team Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=70 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=71 A warm welcome has been given by one of the countys largest housing associations to news that the Chancellor Alistair Darling MP has announced a doubling of investment into social housingColchester based Colne Housing is delighted with the news that at least 8 billion will be allocated for the new housing supply as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review CSR setting Government spending levels for the next three yearsColnes Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said This is excellent news for social housing and a real financial boost to the sector where we need more affordable homes for people It is important that the East of England and in particular north Essex benefits from this announcement as we are seeing increasing house building in the area It is vital that we develop more rented and shared ownership homes and Colne is working hard with developers to meet the demand The Governments announcement is likely to deliver 45000 social rented homes a year by 2011 across the UK with an additional 25000 per year shared ownership This meets the industrys request of 70000 new homes per annumColne Housing owns nearly 2000 properties in the north and mid Essex area and is one of leading housing associations in the county Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=71 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=72 A new face has taken the helm at one of the largest housing associations in the countyThe Board of Colchester based Colne Housing unanimously voted in favour of former Leader of Colchester Council Bill Frame as its new ChairmanMr Frame is no stranger to Colne having served eleven years on the Board the last three as Vice Chairman He takes over the reins from Robert Leng who will remain on the BoardMr Frame has strong connections with affordable housing in the area and is currently Chairman of Iceni Homes a development company owned in partnership between Colne Housing Suffolk Housing in Bury St Edmunds and Cotman Housing in NorwichMr Frame said These are exciting times for affordable housing in the region and especially in Essex We are building far more sustainable low rent homes for families than ever before and are heavily involved in homes for key workers I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor Robert Leng who has been instrumental in driving Colne Housing forward and I intend to keep up his innovative agendaMark Powell Davies Chief Executive of Colne Housing said Bill is a great supporter of Colne and the work we do He has been with us for many years and he brings that experience now to the top job I am looking forward to working with him in the futureColne Housing owns nearly 2000 properties in the north and mid Essex area and is one of largest housing associations in the county Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=72 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=73 A Colchesterbased housing association is pulling out all the stops to help people in financial difficulties clear their debts and remain in their homesColne Housings newly appointed Income Management team leader Sylvia Guy is starting a new campaign to liaise more closely with tenants who are having trouble meeting their rent repaymentsThrough closer contact Sylvia and her team aim to keep people in their homes and reduce the amount of tenants in arrearsColne has been providing affordable homes in Essex for more than 30 years and plans to build a further 300 over the next three yearsSylvia says by having closer liaison with tenants she hopes to iron out problems before they become acute We look upon court action and eviction as a last resort but there are times when this is the only wayWe will do everything we can to help tenants stay in their homesNow Colne is also introducing a new more efficient computer system that will result in staff having with more time to address tenant issuesSylvia who has had more than a decades experience in housing work says the team will also be able to act in an advisory capacity offering information on benefits and other organisations that may be able to help such as Shelter and the Citizens Advice BureauWe want tenants to keep in touch and not worry about contacting us We want to build relationships with our tenants from the moment they join us so that they know they can talk to us if anything is going wrongIf you are a Colne Housing tenant and need to talk to Sylvia you can reach her on 01206 244723 Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=73 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=74 Private landlords with properties to let are being urged to take advantage of a pioneering new scheme being coordinated by leading housing association Colne HousingWorking in partnership with landlords and local authorities Colne Housing has set up the Safe Haven Project with the help of a grant from the Housing Corporation to provide people in temporary accommodation or on housing waiting lists with longerterm tenanciesThe scheme is the first of its kind in the East of England and is likely to be rolled out regionally and nationallyAt a conference attended by housing representatives and landlords from across Essex and Suffolk Colne Housing outlined how they will manage properties on behalf of landlords offering a guaranteed income and a repairs serviceMark Powell Davies Colne Housings Chief Executive said At a time when the lettings market is facing a great deal of uncertainty with over supply of rented accommodation in many areas we will provide a guaranteed income and rental periodWe will also undertake all necessary repairs and maintenance and coordinate the legalities and logistics between local authorities and landlords Its a winwin situation all roundThe Safe Haven Project has been a year in development with Colne Housing working with councils including Babergh Braintree Colchester Ipswich Maldon Mid Suffolk Suffolk Coastal and Tendring as well as the Housing CorporationKaren Langford Safe Haven Project Manager at Colne Housing said Weve conducted extensive research among landlords who have been very positive and enthusiastic By leasing properties from the private sector we can provide muchneeded accommodation for people who are desperately seeking new homesA toolkit has been developed containing legal financial marketing and risk management materials and is available as a CDrom from Colne Housing on 01206 244700 or via the Safe Haven website wwwsafehavenprojectorgukColchesterbased Colne Housing established in 1973 now owns or manages almost 2000 affordable homes throughout North Essex Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=74 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=75 Colchesterbased Colne Housing Society has honoured the woman who has been the driving force behind the growth of almost 1500 affordable homes in north Essex over 25 years at a special celebration held in Colchester CastleColnes Development Director Sandra Howard was acclaimed as the public face of the society she has been closely involved with the fast pace of growth of Colne Housing Society for a quarter of a centurySandra has worked on very many of the schemes which add up to more than 1900 properties owned and managed by Colne Housing Society in north EssexAttended by friends and colleagues including Peter Powell Senior Partner at Colchesterbased solicitors Ellisons with whom Colne Housing Society works closely Sandra celebrated her 25 years silver service with a surprise party in Colchester CastlePaying tribute to Sandras commitment to the Society Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Sandra has been the engine behind so many new developments she is the public face of Colne Housing and we are immensely proud of all she has achievedSandra is a true professional who never gives up on a scheme She has fantastic relationships with partners in the public private and voluntary sectors and she is an excellent ambassador for ColneColne Housing Chairman Robert Leng described her as playing a pivotal role in Colnes rapid growth and achievementsSandra has played a large part in the expansion of Colne Housing Society since she joined in 1982 when the organisation looked very different At that time it had just eight staff and 443 homes with a turnover of 500000 and assets of 6mToday the Society has 50 staff managing nearly 2000 homes with a turnover of more than 10m annually and assets of nearly 100mSandra qualified as a housing professional in 1968 worked in a variety of roles with Islington and moved to Ipswich Borough Council as Principal Housing Officer in 1974She was appointed to Colne Housing Society in 1982 as Administrative Assistant and quickly promoted to take responsibility for developmentToday she is Development Director for Colne and Regional Development Director for Iceni Homes a joint venture between Colne Cotman and Suffolk Housing Societies Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=75 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=76 Colchesters Colne Housing is celebrating after its resident undergraduate on a national training scheme scooped a major award at a ceremony held in Colchester Town HallTiptreeborn Shane Leipper aged 20 a former pupil of Thurstable School won a commendation award in the Anglia Ruskin Universitysponsored website development and database category of the Essex and Suffolk Shell Step Programme 2007Shane who starts his third year of a BSc in computing and management at Loughborough University later this year is working for Colne Housing this summer as part of the nationwide Shell Step national programme where undergraduates are placed in businesses for up to two months to undertake a specific projectHis award commends the work he has done building the companys intranet system using Microsofts SharePoint ServicesShane said I really wanted to get some work experience which is why I approached the Shell schemeWorking on the project has given me a lot of technical experience through learning all about SharePoint which I wasnt familiar with beforeIve never worked in an office either and Ive been given the responsibility of handling the project on my own tooRobert Leng chairman of Colne Housing said We are delighted with the work Shane has done I am a great supporter of the Shell Step programme because it enables smaller firms from having to go to consultants which are perhaps swayed by experience in other areasThis is the second year we have had an undergraduate here from the programme and assuming we have other suitable projects we may continue to invite othersShell Step is a national programme supported by Shell UK run by the Essex Development and Regeneration Agency in Essex and Suffolk Sun, 02 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=76 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=77 A unique move to make it easier for private landlords to rent their properties to people on housing waiting lists is culminating later this month in a top level regional conference The event is being organised by Colchester based Colne HousingThe scheme known as The Safe Haven Project is the first of its kind in the East of England and has brought together local authorities and private landlords across the Haven Gateway sub region It was set up after the area saw record levels of overcrowding and long waiting lists for people who are classed as homelessThe project has involved working with councils including Babergh Braintree Colchester Ipswich Maldon Mid Suffolk Suffolk Coastal and Tendring and the Housing CorporationKaren Langford Safe Haven Project Manager said We have been meeting with colleagues from the local authorities as well as private landlords and the feedback has been invaluable Private accommodation is a very valuable resource and leasing from the private sector is another great option for those who are desperately seeking new homesTim Lucas Housing Research and Development Manager at Braintree District Council and Chairman of the Greater Haven Gateway housing group will be one of the principal speakers at the conference He said The Safe Haven Project is a crucial piece of work and for the first time ever we have some important data on available private sector housing and how this can be utilised for the benefit of the owners and those seeking a home Private sector leasing means landlords have the piece of mind that they are working with professionals from housing associations and local authorities that will offer a real alternative for homelessnessHousing Corporationaposs Head of Investment for the East of England Naisha Polaine who is speaking at the conference said quotThe Corporation is committed to exploring funding amp promoting best practice The Safer Haven Project is not only leading the way in tackling homelessness and overcrowding but showing how local authorities can work in partnership together to provide local solutions quotThe Safe Haven conference takes place as the Hotel Elizabeth in Copdock near Ipswich on 11th September starting at 10am Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=77 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=78 Colchesterbased Colne Housing Society has reported a record surplus of almost 16m all of which will be ploughed back into improving its properties and providing even more affordable homes in north EssexThe Society which owns and manages more than 1900 properties across north Essex also exceeded its target for building new homes last year by almost 50 per centIt added a record 144 new properties to its extensive portfolio of homes during the financial year which ended in MarchColne Housings Finance Director Lynne Shea says the record surplus was achieved in part because of the extra numbers of properties which Colne Housing now manages During the year Colne Housing became Corporate Trustees of four Almshouse TrustsOther factors which helped to enhance the Societys finances included making a twoandhalf per cent saving on all costs opting for a threeyear cyclical painting contract and investing heavily in IT for further efficiency savingsColne Housing Society aims to build 100 new properties each year but during the 12 months to March 2007 the numbers were boosted to 144 in part because of the low cost home ownership scheme in Westway ColchesterLynn Shea saidIt was an exceptional year for Colne Housing We are enormously proud of its success in generating surplus income to reinvest in the communityWe believe our tenants will benefit from our success and we remain totally committed to driving up the quality and supply of affordable housingWe think these record surplus figures will help us to make great strides in that directionColne Housing plans to invest about 800000 this year on refurbishing and improving in its own properties the schemes will include kitchen refurbishment replacing boilers and improvements to sheltered housing schemesThe Society also plans to build another 120 homes in the current year focusing on social housing developments now under way in Stanway St Osyth and Mersea Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=78 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=79 Colchesterbased Colne Housing Society is set to be among the first housing associations in the country to expand into a new range of private sector business services which will include finance and payroll supportBuilding on its reputation for excellence in affordable homes Colne Housing which owns and manages more than 1900 properties across north Essex is launching a new range of business services under the branding Colne SolutionsColne Solutions is set to build upon its own experience and expertise in the finance and payroll sector by offering its services to other housing associations charities and companies who may be looking to outsource their finance and payroll workRichard Jones Colne Housings New Business and Commercial Manager says that Colne Housing has outstanding experience and expertise in these servicesHe explained that because Colne Housing is using the latest programme technologies there is now spare capacity in Colne Housings own inhouse payroll system which the y will be making available to other organisations to take upSays Richard We are fortunate to have a very experience and established team working in our payroll departmentThey have at lest 60 years experience between them and we are delighted to be able to offer their services to other organisations which may wish to take up our experience in this sectorIn addition to the payroll services Colne Solutions now includes a range of other business services these include private sector leasing services letting services and property leasehold managementAll profits generated through this new portfolio of business schemes will be ploughed back into providing even more affordable homes in north EssexSays Richard Colne Housing is enormously proud of its success in leading from the front on this initiativeColne Housing is totally committed to driving up the quality and supply of affordable housingAny profits we may make from the new and innovative finance and payroll service will help us to make great strides in that directionFor further information about Colne Housings new finance and payroll services contact Richard Jones at Colne Housing on 01206 244700 Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=79 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=80 Greenfingered residents at a sheltered housing scheme in Brightlingsea have transformed their homes into an awardwinning haven for gardenersThe 21flat John King Court in Brightlingsea is one of a range of 200 sheltered housing properties for people aged 55 and over across Essex which are managed by Colne Housing who have been providing affordable homes in Colchester for more than 30 yearsThis summer John King Court is surrounded by welltended gardens which have now scooped the top Silver award for design and colour at the Brightlingsea in Bloom annual competitionThe judging was held earlier than usual this summer because of the unseasonably hot spring which brought the gardens into bloom weeks earlier than normalMark Powell Davies Chief Executive at Colne Housing said For many of our residents gardening is more than just a hobby it is a way of giving their homes their own identity and taking pride in the whole developmentquotWe are delighted with the success of John King Court and we take pride in knowing that the gardens are acknowledged as among the finest in BrightlingseaquotBeautiful gardens go a long way to enhance the quality of life for all our residentsBrightlingsea in Bloom judges gave John King Court the top award this year and the residents are determined to repeat the honour next year Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=80 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=81 An Essex housing provider that specialises in affordable homes to help people get on the housing ladder is about to sell a number of new homes on Mersea IslandColne Housing which owns and manages more than 1600 properties across the region has been working in partnership with Iceni Homes and Mersea Homes to create a range of 2bed flats on Wellhouse GreenSandra Howard Development Director at Colne Housing said The accommodation at Wellhouse Green would suit either a couple or a small family The flats are in a fantastic area with close links to Colchester Anyone interested in living in a quiet village setting will not be disappointedThe flats will be completed in Spring 2007 Colne Housing will give priority to people with links to West Mersea The homes will be sold on a shared ownership basis typically at 50 This will cost around 72000 plus a monthly rent on the unsold partFor an information pack please contact Jenny Spencer on 01206 244700 Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=81 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=82 Residents at a Manningtree retirement complex were treated to some swinging music from the Abbeygate Concert Band at their second annual garden partyMore than 30 musicians in formal tuxedo dress played at the Ironside Walk sheltered housing scheme in front of the Ironside 60plus Club residents the Foundry Court Day Centre local people and staff from the Colne Housing Society managed retirement complexThe buffet lunch and tea supported the Ironside 60plus Club on Colchester Road ManningtreeThe Ironside Walk sheltered housing accommodation is run and managed by Colne Housing Society a charitable housing association which manages over 1700 affordable homes throughout North Essex including some 400 in TendringKay Wright Ironside Walk scheme coordinator said the afternoon had been uplifting and inspiringOur residents really enjoyed the live music which was delightful and refreshing in these days of so much electronic music The event had been organised by Shirley Horrigan longtime supporter of Ironside Walk and her team of fund raisers for the Ironside 60plus Club Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=82 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=83 A unique approach to selling services has been adopted by Colchester based Colne Housing Society in a bid to invest more money into low cost housingColne has just appointed Richard Jones as its new Business and Commercial Manager with the single aim of selling Colneaposs talents to the outside world He will be offering the Societyaposs skills in a variety of disciplines including property management leasehold services and payroll to other housing associations charities and local organizationsThe move is a departure from the normal work undertaken by the Society but reflects the way it is expanding and developing into new areas to secure more affordable housing in the futureRichard Jones said aposI am looking forward to this new challenge and ensuring Colne becomes the first port of call for organisations which are looking to outsource work that is difficult for them to complete and for which we already have a skilled team in place I am talking to a number of potential clients about how Colne can assist themaposMark Powell Davies Chief Executive of Colne Housing said aposThis is new territory for us and is groundbreaking for a housing association We intend to plough any profits made directly into our affordable housing building programmeaposRichard Jones joins Colne Housing after a career in property sales with experience as a Senior Branch manager for Bairstow Eves and knowledge of building and marketing homes Sun, 08 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=83 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=84 A team of top female staff at Colchester based Colne Housing Society are putting their best feet forward to help raise much needed cash in the fight against cancer as part of the national Race for LifeThe team of seven will be donning their trainers in order to take part in the 5 km race on Sunday 29th July at Wivenhoe Park in the University of Essex They are Lisa Rothery Hayley Owen Kelly Moon Leigh Tate Emma Cruickshank Liz Mullender and Debbie McAndrewSpeaking during a brief rest from training Hayley Owen from Colne said Fighting cancer and ensuring people survive this dreadful condition is a crucial thing and all of us wanted to help What better way of doing so then getting fit ourselves so we decided to swap our office shoes for trainers and get jogging We hope to raise as much money as possible for this important causeThe race gets off at 11am and the course will take the runners round the University and the surrounding areas Its hoped that as many as 2500 women will take part in this local event by either running jogging or walking the courseIf you would like to contribute cash to The Colne Team then please log on to httpwwwraceforlifesponsormeorgcolnegirls Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=84 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=85 A Colchesterbased housing association is celebrating its first year in a unique development partnership which provided it with over 15 million to build new homes throughout North EssexColne Housing which has been providing affordable homes in Colchester for over 30 years is part of the Key Communities partnership alongside seven other housing associations which aims to develop new schemes throughout the East of EnglandThe Key Communities scheme is led by Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association BPHA Colne has been able to access new funding to create homes for people with autism in Colchester new affordable properties in St Osyth and the Safe Haven scheme to encourage private sector landlords to let to people in housing needMark Powell Davies Chief Executive at Colne Housing said We are committed to providing high quality homes that people can afford in communities where they want to live As a partnership Key Communities has proven that it can do this quickly and efficiently which is great news for local people priced out of the housing market We are delighted that the partnership has been able to deliver the first year of its development programme so effectively and secure new homes for North EssexFigures released by Key Communities show that the partnership committed 63 million in the last 12 months on building a wide range of affordable housing across the whole region with Colne Housing using over 15 million to provide affordable homes in EssexColne has plans to build more than 300 affordable new homes over the next three yearsThe partnership comprises of Colne Housing Society Cotman Housing Association Howard Cottage Housing Association Iceni Homes King Street Housing Society Papworth Trust and Suffolk Housing Society as well as BPHA Fri, 18 May 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=85 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=86 Colchesterbased housing association Colne Housing has received top marks from Government agency the Housing Corporation following a thorough assessment of its servicesA traffic light rating of red amber or green is given against each area with green as the top rating Colne Housing which has been providing affordable homes in Colchester for over 30 years has received the highest accolade by obtaining four green lights across all four categories Governance Management Financial Viability and DevelopmentColne Housings Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said The Housing Corporations regulation is robust and we are delighted to have received this excellent assessment which assures our future as a growing community based housing association in NorthEssex We are committed to providing excellent new affordable homes for those in need as well as a high quality management service in our neighbourhoodsEvery housing association across the UK owning or managing more than 250 homes has its performance assessed by the Housing Corporation against the criteria Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=86 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=87 EDGE Forward the east of England staff mentoring programme which helps people working in the housing sector develop their career celebrated its second successful year at Chilford Hall Linton on 24th May The event also served to launch the programme for its third yearThe popular scheme attracted 36 mentees and 32 mentors during 2006 and has been so successful it has attracted the interest of the Housing Diversity Network who will use the programme as a model and roll it out nationally during 2007The scheme gives housing practitioners working at any level in their organisation the opportunity for regular one to one mentoring sessions with a senior housing professional from another housing organisation Participants are also invited to attend four oneday workshops throughout the year which include self awareness management and leadership dealing with discrimination and conflict and training and development It also provides a great opportunity for networking with other housing practitionersChair of the scheme Simone Russell commentedThis is a fantastic opportunity for the sector where everyone wins Mentees are encouraged and supported to develop their skills and aspirations employers have the comfort of knowing that the scheme is encouraging and supporting the development of staff and mentors commit to acting as a sounding board and enriching the professional lives of their menteesClare Lawrance a mentee on this years scheme saidMy mentor has been genuinely inspiring and has reignited my enthusiasm for my career and the work I do Heaposs given me an honest assessment of the impression I make on others offered me the benefit of his experience in housing helped me develop solutions for specific management issues and shown me by example what a huge impact a strong leader can have on a team My experience of the mentoring scheme has been really positive and Iaposm hoping to be involved in the steering group next year and become a mentor for others in the future Examining your personal qualities in such an open way isnt an easy option but if you are prepared to be honest and work hard at selfimprovement its a great way to learn Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=87 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=89 The chances for wouldbe homeowners in Colchester to get a foot on the housing ladder has been given a boost with news that a new scheme in north Colchester is about to be launched by one of the regions most established affordable housing providersColne Housing which has been providing affordable homes in Colchester for over 30 years has developed three quality 2bed flats within Hopkins Homes Trinity Heights site on Mile End Road The flats which have been built to a high specification will be available to buy on a shared ownership basis from summer 2007Jennifer Spencer Leasehold Coordinator at Colne Housing said Hopkins Homes has developed a number of award winning properties throughout the country and the flats that Colne are able to offer in Colchester will be of a very high standard The homes are extremely spacious compared to similar new flats on the market and we are preparing ourselves for a lot of interestThe new properties are available for people earning less than 28900 per year with priority being given to buyers who live or work in Colchester Prices start from 76250 for a 50 share in the property with a rent of 40 per week Tue, 15 May 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=89 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=90 The historic Essex village of EastHanningfield received a housing boost recently when the Leader of Essex County Council officially opened 12 new affordable homes for the areaThe development has been created by local housing provider Colne Housing The properties which consist of a mixture of 2bed flats 2bed houses and 3bed homes were built at a cost of over 13 millionColne Housing Society which owns and manages nearly 2000 affordable homes across Essex invited Lord Hanningfield to unveil a special bench to mark the opening of the scheme The homes were built by Essex Heritage Properties to fit in with the village look and were developed by Iceni HomesLord Hanningfield said These highquality homes should be an example to many other villages around Essex that affordable housing in rural communities can work Over 150000 new homes are needed to meet demand in the county and schemes like this can help rejuvenate areas that have often been overlookedBased at Geffrey Close Old Church Road the Colne Housing project has been developed over the past year and was built with the help of a 750000 grant from the Housing Corporation The new properties have been rented or sold on shared ownership to people with a direct link to the villageGeffrey Close was named after local resident John Geffrey who was hanged at Chelmsford for his part in the Great Revolt of 1381 East Hanningfield is one of the oldest villages in EssexRobert Leng Chairman of Colne Housing said These homes are a wonderful addition to East Hanningfield By expanding affordable housing in the area a new vibrancy has been felt in the village Villages are becoming too expensive for local people to live in and often house an aging population with no provision for the younger generation This will help sustain our rural communities for years to comeThe opening was attended by a number of distinguished guests including the Deputy Mayor of Chelmsford Councillor Philip Firth Director of Essex Rural Community Council Nick Shuttleworth and Peter Applegate Chairman of East Hanningfield Parish Council For more information about affordable homes offered by Colne Housing log on to wwwcolnehousingcouk or telephone 01206 244700 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=90 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=91 A new initiative to ensure residents rights to privacy and peace and quiet has been backed by one of the countys leading affordable housing providers Colchester based Colne Housing SocietyColne which owns and manages over 1800 properties across North Essex has signed up to the Governments Respect Standard for Housing Management scheme which aims to stamp out antisocial behaviour in developments before minor issues become serious problemsThe scheme has been set up to help housing professionals working alongside the police the education sector and youth services to tackle poor behaviour throughout the countryMark Powell Davies Chief Executive of Colne Housing said We are very lucky that our developments do not usually attract much antisocial behaviour but we felt it was important to sign up to the scheme to show that we are committed to dealing such behaviour and are serious about the welfare of our residentsColne Housing has promised to deal with complaints efficiently and will work with other agencies such as the police local councils and crime and disorder partnerships to address antisocial behaviour Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=91 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=92 Wartime memories came alive recently when a group of pupils from the Stanway School visited elderly residents from Colne Housing SocietyResidents at New Farm Lodge Stanway were approached by history students from the school who wanted to interview people who had recollections about the Second World War as part of their aposOral Historyapos moduleHeather Booth Scheme Manager said quotThe sessions were not only useful for the studentsapos history research but were also beneficial in integrating the young and the old With the school and youth club being so close to home we wanted the youngsters to get to know the residents We hope that by bringing them together both the pupils and our elderly tenants will experience and appreciate each otheraposs way of lifequotResidents at the scheme which offers sheltered accommodation for over 55s have been involved in an ongoing partnership with the Stanway School attending open days and performances in addition to the oral history work in a bid to reduce the risk of antisocial behaviour in their community Colne Housing is committed to making a positive impact in which they work and were more than happy to help the students learn about the history of their neighboursAlf Jenkins Colne Housing resident at New Farm Lodge said quotThe pupilsapos visit brought back many memories They were extremely wellbehaved and asked astute questions about our pasts I hope the partnership will continue in the futurequot Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=92 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=93 A unique meeting has taken place to encourage private landlords to rent their properties to people on housing waiting lists and more landlords are being asked to come forwardColne Housing consulted proprietors in the Haven Gateway area on Wednesday The consultation is part of Colne Housings Safe Haven Project which was setup after the region saw record levels of overcrowding and long waiting lists for people who are classed as homeless27 landlords from across Suffolk met in Needham Market to find out whether a partnership between private landlords and homeless people could work Colne Housing has been working in partnership with the Mid Suffolk Ipswich and Suffolk Coastal district councils to help identify suitable landlordsKaren Langford Safe Haven Project Manager said The first consultation was very productive and we hope to gain as much feedback as possible from the following two events We have gained considerable support from all the local authorities in the Haven Gateway area and we hope to be in a position to roll out the project once all the research has been carried outLandlords were given the opportunity to talk about how their properties might be managed under such a scheme including how repairs would be carried out and what lease terms would be neededBob Smith Principal Housing Officer for Mid Suffolk District Council who helped facilitate the event said As a council we are supporting the research carried out by Colne Housing and are pleased to be part of the landlord consultationLandlords in the Maldon Colchester Tendring Braintree and Babergh regions will also be approached for the project Colne Housing is planning further consultation evenings on 25th Jan at 600 pm in Colchester and 22nd Jan at 600pm in Chelmsford For more information please contact Karen Langford Project Manager at Colne Housing on 01206 244743 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=93 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=94 Renting out your property to save it being repossessed could provide the answer for many financially struggling families according to a leading lettings firmThe news from Colchester based Lettings Solutions comes after figures on mortgage arrears and repossessions released by the Council of MortgageLenders have revealed a 35 per cent increase of people with mortgage arrears in England and Wales in the first two months of this year compared to the same period last yearAs repossession numbers soar Lettings Solutions is predicting that the national slump in the beleaguered housing market could take up to five years to sort outRichard Jones from Letting Solutions is confident that the downturn does not mean that people have to lose their homes and that there is an alternative He is urging families not to hand back the keys to their properties if they cannot afford the monthly billsMr Jones said We have a unique deal with Colchester based housing association Colne Housing who will take on properties for a guaranteed five year period and offer a competitive and realistic rent Colne will find tenants and take care of routine maintenance and ensure the house is returned in good condition Its a perfect solution for people who feel that they are facing the prospect of losing their home because they cannot meet the mortgage It is important to stress that homeowners do need to get consent from their mortgage lenderHe continued This deal means that people can rent out another home themselves at a cheaper rate while maintaining their own property during the next tough five years We would urge people facing repayment difficulties not to walk away from their homes because they could face additional legal costsLettings Solutions offers a range of services from finding tenants through to rent collection and fully managing property For more information about avoiding losing your home through the credit crunch by renting out your home then please contact Richard Jones on 01206 244700 or by email at infolettingssolutionscouk Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=94 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=95 Leading Essex housing association Colne Housing is giving its booty from a Colchester Castle Park treasure hunt to a brain tumour support charity as part of Colnes 35th anniversary year programmeOver 55 children took part in a treasure hunt around Colchesters Castle Park during the summer holidays Youngsters were given clue sheets asking them to seek out four Colne Housing team members who had hidden themselves as buried treasure in secret locations around the parkWhen the young scavengers found the four hidden treasures they were given Colne Housing goody bags as rewards for their effortsTreasure hunt coorganiser Liz Mullender Colne Housing Resources Assistant said the event had proved a hit with the youngsters raising a total of 50 including other donations on the dayAmong the dozens of young treasure seekers were Victoria Bowden aged 12 Jamie Bowden nine Abigail Harris five and Daniel Thomson also five all from West Bergholt All the funds will be dedicated to improving life for adults and children affected by brain tumoursColchesterbased Colne Housing which owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex will donate the money to the national charity Brain Tumour UK in memory of 23yearold Hollie Bell from Great Bentley who was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year Despite extensive treatment Hollie died in JuneHollie was the daughter of Colneaposs Housing Officer Lesley Glover of Great Bentley who continues to raise funds for the charityThis year Colne Housing is organising a number of events to raise money for Brain Tumour UK to mark the housing societys 35th anniversaryFurther information on Colne Housings fundraising activities in aid of Brain Tumour UK can be found on wwwcolnehousingcoukFurther information on Brain Tumour UK can be found on wwwbraintumourukorguk Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=95 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=96 Leading Essex housing association Colne Housing is pledging all its fundraising during its 35th anniversary year to a charity dedicated to improving life for adults and children affected by brain tumoursColchesterbased Colne Housing which owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex has selected the national charity Brain Tumour UK in memory of 23yearold Hollie Bell from Great Bentley who was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year Despite extensive treatment Hollie died in JuneHollie was the daughter of Colne Housing Officer Lesley Glover of Great Bentley who continues to raise funds for the charityThis year Colne Housing is organising a number of events to raise money for Brain Tumour UK to mark the housing societys 35th anniversaryAmong the 35 planned fundraising events are a sponsored bike ride car wash treasure hunt and slimming club and a major casino night which will take place on Saturday 29 November at Colchester Town HallEach event will raise funds for Brain Tumour UK to support research into finding a cure for the disease providing information and education on brain tumours to raise public awareness and to support patients and familiesThe number of people dying from a brain tumour has increased over the last decade and more children now die from a brain tumour than any other childhood cancerFurther information on Colne Housings fundraising activities in aid of Brain Tumour UK can be found on wwwcolnehousingcoukFurther information on Brain Tumour UK can be found on wwwbraintumourukorguk Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=96 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=98 A 28k Community fund has been launched by leading Essex housing Association Colne Housing to help fund projects and organisations that will benefit their local areasMoney has been put aside for organisations to apply for up to 500 each for special events projects or schemes where people in the community will see and experience a direct benefitThere is a further special one off grant of 10k specifically for community centres in the Colchester Maldon and Tendring districtsHousing Director for Colne Martin Buddery said This is a great opportunity for people to apply for money that will really make a difference to them and their local community We are inviting people to apply to the Colne Community FundGuidelines and application forms are available on our website or by emailing the Society A special panel has been set up to assess each application and decisions will be based on the sustainability of the scheme and the direct impact on local residentsThe panel will be made up of Colne residents board members and staff who will assess each application against strict criteriaGo to our community projects page for further information and an application form Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=98 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=99 A new scheme of 12 shared ownership homes for local key workers in Great Cornard Sudbury are on sale through one of the regions leading housing associationsColchesterbased Colne Housing Society is now taking reservations from key workers who earn less than 28000 and who may not normally be able to afford to buy a home outright on the open market in the Great Cornard areaThe shared ownership homes scheme is the latest release from Colne Housing during its 35th anniversary year programmeThe first phase of homes include a mix of terraced or semidetached houses and maisonettes and some have been built around a new village style greensward area They are part of a larger housing development on the Bures Road Great Cornard SudburyKey workers who can move in from September may include local authority teachers health service workers police fire and ambulance workers and local Government workers among othersColne Housing will give priority to key workers who live work or have close links with the Great Cornard and Sudbury areasThe first phase is now on sale and it includes six twobedroom houses either semidetached homes or terraced homes two threebedroom semidetached homes and four twobedroom maisonettesThe scheme works by giving key workers the chance to buy a stake in the home typically a 50 per cent share but this is variable with the remaining percentage owned by Colne Housing SocietyA typical 50 per cent share will cost from 67500 Buyers will also pay an affordable monthly rent to Colne Housing of around 160Colne Housings Leasehold Manager Jennifer Spencer says We are expecting these new homes to be very popular as it is a very attractive development in a rural areaColne will prioritise all inquiries and each of these new homes will eventually be allocated on a firstcome firstserved basis within their priority groupWe are aiming these homes at Sudburys key workers to help key workers stay in their home district and use their skills locallyThe Great Cornard scheme has been developed by Colne Housing working in close partnership with development company Iceni Homes and Babergh District CouncilFor further information and full details on how the shared ownership scheme operates you can contact Jennifer Spencer at Colne Housing on 01206 244742 or infocolnesolutionscouk or you can download an information pack and application form Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=99 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=100 A time capsule containing 35 items reflecting everyday life in an Essex village has been buried at a special ceremony to mark the launch of a new affordable homes schemeThe time capsule burial took place at a new village housing scheme on Sudbury Road Gestingthorpe as part of leading East of England housing association Colne Housings celebrations of its 35th anniversary yearThe edgeofvillage scheme provides six new homes to give a chance of a village home to hardpressed families who may not be able to afford market prices to stay in their local community There will be four semidetached homes at affordable rents two with two bedrooms and two with three bedrooms and two other twobedroom semis for shared ownershipPriority will be given to people who live in Gestingthorpe or who have a strong connection with that village or another nearbyThe time capsule is the work of Gestingthorpe parish councillors and residents working with the local land owner and Colchesterbased Colne HousingEach item in the time capsule reflected popular culture and includes a copy of the Halstead Gazette local seeds and grains plans of the property a mobile phone an MP3 player food and utility bills and a model of the time traveller Dr Who The capsule was buried under the footpathThe six new homes are being built through a close partnership between Colne Housing development company Iceni Homes Gestingthorpe Parish Council Braintree district council and the Rural Community Council of Essex among othersColne Housing Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said We are aiming these new homes at local people who may have grown up in this village or have close links with this village or one nearby and who may now be struggling to find a home they can afford on the open market and which will enable them to stay in the villageGestingthorpe does not want to see local families drift away from their home community because they cannot afford to buy a houseAlthough Colne Housing owns and manages more than 2000 homes across Essex the Gestingthorpe development is the first shared ownership scheme we have developed in this villageWe anticipate high levels of interest in these homes and we are proud that the development marks another milestone in Colne Housings 35th anniversary yearThe six new homes are being built through a close partnership between Colne Housing development company Iceni Homes Gestingthorpe Parish Council Braintree district council and the Rural Community Trust among othersChairman of Colne Housing Bill Frame said Rural housing is vitally important and we at Colne are proud of this superb development as it provides excellent homes for local people and helps to keep the community alive with young families The project was cofunded by Colne Housing with the assistance of a 254000 grant from the Housing CorporationGestingthorpe villagers or others nearby who may be interested in the homes or who would like further information should contact Colne Housing on 01206 244700 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=101 Sixteen new affordable homes owned by Colne Housing in north east Essex were given the seal of approval by the countys High Sheriff in a special ceremony held in St Osyth The event marked the unveiling of the Societys 2035th home as part of its 35th anniversary yearThe Queens representative Mrs Sarah Courage was guest of honour at the official opening of the 16 new homes in St Osyth which have been built in close partnership between Colne Housing development company Iceni Homes the St Osyth Almshouses Charity St Osyth Parish Council and Tendring District Council The land was the site of a disused school transferred from Essex County Council to the St Osyth Almshouse Charity after several years of negotiationsChairman of Colne Housing Bill Frame said Rural housing is vitally important and we at Colne are proud of this superb development as it provides excellent homes for local people in one of the prettiest towns in the county We were honoured that the High Sheriff was able to attend to mark the occasion of our 2035th home which is a milestone in our 35 year historyPart of the development has been named Clinton Close to reflect the contribution made by Alan Clinton the Chairman of the St Osyth Almshouses Charity who has been involved in the project from day one He planted a tree to mark the opening of the scheme which includes five homes for which the charity has nomination rightsMr Clinton said The scheme represents a unique collaboration with a number of organisations who have come together to ensure the development was successful and as a result provide much needed affordable homesThe total cost of the project was 18m with the assistance of a grant of 860000 from the Housing Corporation The properties will include five specially adapted bungalows for wheelchair users eight flats and three houses Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=101 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=102 A group of North Essex students who completed a unique construction training scheme has been honoured at a special presentation held in Colchester Town HallColchester Mayor Peter Crowe himself a former construction apprentice congratulated the five apprentices who completed the first construction scholarship scheme launched by Colchesterbased Colne Housing as part of its 35th anniversary year celebrationsI recognise all the work which has gone into achieving these certificates and I congratulate Colne Housing for its foresight in helping these young people begin their working lives in the growing construction sectorIt is important that young people learn about building communities and the excitement of creating new homes for the future I wish them every successThe students all Colne Housing residents had spent three months learning a range of skills including bricklaying paving tiling and guttering They had refurbished part of a Colne Housing supported housing scheme for people with learning disabilities in ColchesterThe students were jointly funded on the 12week programme by Haven Gateway and Colne Housing which owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex including Maldon Colchester and ClactonEach student was presented with a certificate and their CSCS card which will enable them to work on construction sites within the EUThe winning students are Brian Seager aged 18 a former St Helena School student of Magdalen Street Colchester Carl Rollin aged 22 of Curtis Close Clacton Tom Hardie a former Sir Charles Lucas College student aged 19 of Arnold Drive Colchester and Donna Chisnall a former Plume School student aged 20 from Heybridge near MaldonAll the students were trained on site by Ken Cane and Len Johnson of United Skills at MaldonColne Housings Chairman Bill Frame said We congratulate all our winning students and we are proud that they now have the skills to get on site and start a worthwhile careerThe future of affordable housing depends on people getting qualifications to work in this area Colne Housing is proud to be one of a very limited number of housing associations in the country who have set up an apprenticeship scheme to invest in the future of our residents and local industry in this way Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=102 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=103 Colchester landlords who hold out for inflated monthly rents on their empty flats and houses risk seeing their properties sit in the wilderness for monthsDespite home sales falling to their lowest level for over 25 years too many Colchester landlords still expect to achieve the levels of rent they attracted during the housing boomThe Face Facts warning comes from Richard Jones manager of Lettings Solutions in Colchester who says landlords who are willing to settle for realistic rent levels should still be able to find tenantsHis company has successfully let a twobedroom flat in The Hythe in just a week because he says the rental asked was both realistic and achievableThe demand for homes to rent is increasing as a result of the ongoing credit crunch and difficulties in obtaining mortgages warns Richard but there are so many empty flats in Colchester that the competition among landlords to attract good tenants is fierceIf landlords dont want their properties to sit in the wilderness for months then they must price realisticallyThen they will find there are still tenants out there who are interestedProperty is a longterm investment and our message to Colchester landlords who are in for the long haul is that it is better to accept a lower monthly rent which may not cover all the landlords costs than to have a void and no income at allLettings Solutions is meeting the challenge by working exclusively with a major housing association so that landlords can be offered a long term lease and guaranteed realistic levels of income for a period of up to five yearsLettings Solutions which offers a range of service levels from finding tenants through to rent collection and fully managed service offers a range of packages designed to minimises voids in tenancies and promote guaranteed tenanciesAdds Richard We are confident we can achieve the highest sustainable level of rent for landlords with a minimum of expensive voidsBecause we are in a position to offer guaranteed tenancies we hope landlords will not fall away from the Colchester market Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=103 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=104 The former chairman of leading East of England housing association Colne Housing has officially opened a block of affordable flats to rent in Clacton which carry his nameColne Housings block of four twobedroom flats at Windmill Park has been named Leng Court in honour of the former chairman of Colne Housing Robert LengThe naming ceremony and official opening was part of Colne Housings 35th anniversary celebrations and had been kept under wraps until the unveiling of the buildings name plaqueThe Colne Housing delegation also dedicated a new garden bench for Leng Courts residents use sporting Robert Lengs name on an engraved plaqueMr Leng said This was a total surprise I was the only person here who didnt knowMy five years as chairman gave me a fantastic opportunity to make a contribution to this organisation which is committed to providing affordable homes for people not only in Clacton but throughout North EssexI was proud to lead Colne Housing at a time of expansion and growth and to have helped set its policy and future direction It was an important job and one that carried responsibility but it was also very rewardingColne Housings current chairman Bill Frame added We are delighted to make sure that Roberts name is remembered as a former chair of Colne Housing to honour all the work hes done over the yearsquotLeng Court will be a great asset for Clacton families wanting an affordable home to rent in a market that is otherwise out of their reachColne Housing Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said We are proud to be able to honour our former chairman in this way as he did so much for the organisation in helping us grow our provision of flexible and innovative affordable homes for families Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=104 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=105 Colchesterbased Colne Housing one of the largest affordable housing providers in Essex has scooped a top award for its outstanding staff training and developmentColne Housing won the top accolade at the Essex Countywide Business Awards for its training and staff development programme Its the second top award in two years for the leading housing associationThe award was given for Colne Housings passion for training its staff and providing them with the opportunity to acquire uptodate knowledge skills and qualifications as part of the companys overall business strategyChief Executive Mark Powell Davies says As a leading housing association the investment in ongoing training is integral to our business this includes programmes for all staff to undertake training job shadowing mentoring and coaching encouraging a number of internal promotionsOur pledge of excellence is also reflected in our growing numbers of affordable homes the commitment to quality for every resident and in the transformation of our local neighbourhoodsWinning the award gives a real boost to our teams who have achieved so much and worked so hard throughout the year We are delighted to receive the recognition of our peers within the business communityquotEstablished in 1973 Colne Housing owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex including Maldon Colchester and ClactonColne Housing is a partner of the New Alliance organisation which includes Suffolk Housing Society and Cotman Housing Association and is an equal owner of Iceni Homes a development company which is responsible for building and delivering quality homes on behalf of Colne Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=105 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=106 Two business neighbours with a close working relationship in Colchester have each scooped top awards at a prestigious event for outstanding work in their respective fieldsColchesterbased Colne Housing one of the largest affordable housing providers in Essex scooped a top award for its staff training and development while at the same time The Essex Autistic Society their neighbours in Digby House Causton Road won the Community Award at the Essex Countywide Awards ceremony organised by Newsquest in SouthendBoth Colne Housing and The Essex Autistic Society are celebrating their 35th anniversaries this year the 2 organisations have been working together in Essex to provide housing and support for people with autismColne Housing won the top accolade at the Essex Business Awards for its training and staff development programme Its the second top award this year for the leading housing associationThe award was given for Colne Housings passion for training its staff and providing them with the opportunity to acquire uptodate knowledge skills and qualifications as part of the companys overall business strategyColne Housings Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies says As a leading housing association the investment in ongoing training is integral to our business strategy this includes programmes for all staff to undertake training job shadowing mentoring and coaching encouraging a number of internal promotionsWe are delighted to celebrate our honour with the success of our business neighbours Essex Autistic Society with whom we will be working on a number of new and exciting projects over the coming monthsThese awards have an excellent reputation of producing winners and finalists of the highest quality and so The Essex Autistic Society was thrilled at winning their categoryClive Stobbs the Chief Executive of the Essex Autistic Society was delighted at the recognition they receivedThe Society has recently received excellent reports from the Commission for Social Care Inspection the Office for Standards in Education and the National Autism Accreditation Programme This award is further recognition of the outstanding service that The Essex Autistic Society provides Our staff are dedicated to caring for people who are affected by autism and this award is further proof that we are successfully achieving thatIt is wonderful for our staff to get proper recognition for all of their hard work and effortHe added The secret of our success is that we provide services specific to the needs of the individual This ensures that the service is right for the person with autism and their familyBoth organisations were Established in 1973 Colne Housing owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex including Maldon Colchester and Clacton while the Essex Autistic Society provides care and support for children and adults with autism as well as their families and carers across East AngliaBoth organisations are partners of Alliances within their own fields Colne Housing working in the New Alliance organisation which includes Suffolk Housing Society and Cotman Housing Association and is an equal owner of Iceni Homes a development company which is responsible for building and delivering quality homes on behalf of Colne while the Essex Autistic Society are members of the Autism Alliance Groups which works together to raise awareness of autism nationallyBoth organisations recognise the similarities between them and will continue to develop their partnership to benefit the Essex CommunityTo find out more about The Essex Autistic Society please log on to wwwessexautisticorguk or telephone 01206 577678 For more information about Colne Housing or the awards log on to wwwcolnehousingcouk or telephone 01206 244700 Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=106 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=107 One of Colchesters largest affordable home developments has kicked off to a great start with the goal of helping Colchester families find quality homes to rentThe prestigious 4m Heathlands development at Winstree Road Stanway was officially opened this week Monday 28 April by leading East of England housing association Colne Housing as part of its 35th anniversary celebrationsColchester United Captain Karl Duguid was on the bench on site alongside Colne Housing Chairman Bill Frame for the official launchThey dedicated a new garden bench for Heathlands residents use sporting Karl Duguids name on an engraved plaque which will be placed in the gardens behind Colne Housings homes on Radwald ChaseWorking with partners including Colchester Council development company Iceni Homes and builders Persimmon Homes Colne Housings scheme at Heathlands provides a wide range of affordable homes in a new communityOpening the eight onebedroom flats ten twobedroom flats thirteen threebedroom houses and nine fourbedroom houses in a top residential area Colne Chairman Bill Frame said Heathlands is the pride of Colne HousingLike Karls leadership of Colchester United Football Club Heathlands is set to become a true favourite with everyoneThe development is already proving a hit with a wide range of families which is not surprising considering the quality of the scheme and the wide green open spacesThe Heathlands development has been the latest opportunity for families wanting an affordable home to rent in a market that is otherwise out of their reachColne Housing Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Heathlands is another in Colne Housings proud tradition of providing flexible and innovative affordable homes for familiesThe launch of the Heathlands development shows what can be achieved by working closely with all of our partners to bring responsive housing solutions which are attractive and popular with familiesThe Us Captain Karl Duguid also led a training master class with Stanway School students as part of the Heathlands site launch programme Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=107 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=108 A group of North Essex students have laid the foundations for their future success by finishing a unique training scheme to qualify them to find work in the growing construction sectorColchesterbased Colne Housing which owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes in Essex launched its first construction scholarship scheme earlier this year as part of its 35th anniversary year celebrationsThe students all Colne Housing residents spent three months learning a range of skills including bricklaying paving tiling and guttering They have refurbished the grounds of one of Colnes supported housing schemes in Colchester as part of their trainingThe students were jointly funded on the 12week programme by Colne Housing and the Haven GatewayEach student is now on a work placement scheme with leading builders Trevor Benton Mersea Homes RGCarter and Rose Builders after having earned their Construction Skills Certification Scheme cards vital for working on EU construction sitesThe five winning students are Daniel Ashley aged 18 from Dovercourt Brian Seager aged 18 a former St Helena School student of Magdalen Street Colchester Carl Rollin aged 22 of Curtis Close Clacton Tom Hardie a former Sir Charles Lucas College student aged 19 of Arnold Drive Colchester and Donna Chisnall a former Plume School student aged 20 from Heybridge near MaldonDonna Chisnall said Its been a great opportunity to learn construction skills with professional people on a real siteI have always wanted to work in construction and my success with this scheme shows that you can do anything if you have the will power and ambition to do it for yourselfAll the students were trained on site by Ken Cane and Len Johnson of United Skills at MaldonColne Housings Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said We are very proud of our first graduates who are now set to find jobs in the wider construction sector on which the future of affordable housing dependsColne is one of a very limited number of housing associations in the country who have sent up an apprenticeship scheme invest in the future of our residents and local industry in this wayConstruction is a priority sector for North Essex and there is great demand for qualified workersThe students will be honoured later this summer at a special presentation at Colchester Town Hall Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=108 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=109 Hundreds of Colchester landlords may refuse to let their houses to people receiving housing benefit because of changes in the way Government money is handed overFrom this month April 7 new tenants who are entitled to have their rent paid through what was previously called Housing Benefit will have the cash paid directly to them through their own bank accountsThe aim is for tenants to hand over the money to the landlords each month as part of the Governments agenda of increasing choice and personal responsibility and helping to develop skills to make the transition into workSome tenants who will qualify for the newlystyled Local Housing Allowance LHA stand to receive monthly payments for hundreds of pounds to cover the rentBut Colchester landlords fear this cash may never be handed over as it may prove too much of a temptation for some tenants who may not be accustomed to taking responsibility for handling large amounts of moneyColchester landlords main concern about these new arrangements is that they may not see their money explains Richard Jones manager of Letting Solutions in ColchesterThey may not want to take the risk of losing money and they may decide that it is easier to withdraw from letting to new LHA tenants and move over to private sector tenants exclusivelyThis change in the way the money is being paid could bring about a reduction in the overall numbers of properties to let in Colchester just when the demand for homes to rent is increasing as a result of the ongoing credit crunch and difficulties in obtaining mortgages warns RichardThe new LHA arrangement is managed through Colchester Councils housing benefit teams on behalf of the GovernmentUnder the new rules if the rent is not paid the landlord can take the tenant to court and evict them which mean families may lose their homes However in most cases local authorities may still have to find them accommodation especially if children are involvedRichard Jones explains that if landlords do not receive his money for two months they can apply to have the money paid directly to them but any rental cash lost in those eight weeks will not be retrospectively paidLettings Solutions is meeting the challenge by working exclusively with a major housing association which is exempt from these new arrangements so that landlords can be offered a long term lease and guaranteed realistic levels of income for a period of up to five yearsLettings Solutions which offers a range of service levels from finding tenants through to rent collection and fully managed service offers a range of packages designed to minimises voids in tenancies and promote guaranteed tenanciesSays Richard We are run by a landlord for landlords and we understand the issues involved with the introduction of this new Local Housing AllowanceOur aim is to remove the risks of nonpayment which Colchester landlords fear may be a result of these changesWe are confident we can achieve the highest sustainable level of rent for landlords with a minimum of expensive voidsBecause we are in a position to offer guaranteed tenancies we hope landlords will not fall away from the Colchester marketFor more information and to contact Lettings Solutions call 01206 244750 or email infolettingssolutionscom Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=109 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=110 Colchesters leading affordable housing provider is giving a helping hand to the Boroughs hardpressed firsttime buyers with the launch of shared ownership homesColne Housing is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year with the release of three twobedroom high quality shared ownership flats in their own block on Trinity Heights Mile End RoadThe new homes are available now to firsttime buyers earning less than 28900ayear who live or work in ColchesterThey can purchase the flats for a minimum of 50 per cent of the market price whilst paying the balance at an affordable rent to Colne HousingThe new opportunity to buy a shared home is set to boost firsttime buyers who are struggling to raise substantial mortgages due to the credit crunchJennifer Spencer Leasehold Manager at Colne Housing which owns and manages more than 2000 affordable homes in north Essex and Suffolk said There is a growing need for shared ownership homes in Colchester and we are expecting a great deal of interest in these new flatsHouse prices have not dropped that much in Colchester despite the recent fall in the markets but local salaries have not risen much more than inflation if people are luckyThe result is that it is even tougher now for firsttime buyers to raise a mortgage especially as many building societies are asking for everlarger deposits and demanding ever higher rates of interestSo for very many firsttime buyers the dream of buying their own home is further away than everThe Trinity Heights flats are built by Hopkins Homes which has developed a number of awardwinning properties throughout the countrySaid Jennifer The homes are high quality and spacious We are delighted to be able to market them now at a time when so many people are struggling to get started with their first homeAn application form and details of the properties are available from Colne Housing by calling 01206 244700 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=110 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=111 The first tenants of a new affordable housing project owned by Colne Housing in North East Essex have just taken possession of their purpose built homeThe bungalow is one of 16 new homes in St Osyth built in close partnership between Colne Housing development company Iceni Homes the St Osyth Almshouses Charity SOAC St Osyth Parish Council and Tendring District Council The land was the site of a disused school transferred from Essex County Council to the St Osyth Almshouse Charity after several years of negotiationsChairman of Colne Housing Bill Frame was on hand along with the Chairman of the St Osyth Almshouses Charity Alan Clinton to present the keys to the first tenants to move in Mr Julian and Mrs Jenny SimmonsMr Frame said This is a superb development and one we at Colne are very proud of as it provides excellent new homes for local people in one of the prettiest towns in the county It has also been a unique collaboration with a number of organisations who have come together to ensure this scheme was successful and as a result provide much needed affordable homesFive of the new homes will provide housing for local people nominated by the almshouse charity The remaining eleven homes will go to people on Tendring District Councils waiting listThe total cost of the project was 176m with the assistance of a grant of 860000 from the Housing Corporation The properties will include five specially adapted bungalows for wheelchair users eight flats and three houses Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=111 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=112 A quick thinking retirement home warden for Colchesterbased affordable homes provider Colne Housing has won praise for saving a pensioners life as he lay slumped in his car at a local supermarket car parkThe lifesaving dash began when Colne Housing Societys Orchard Lodge Tiptree Retirement Scheme Officer Toni Ryan was alerted that one of her residents 80yearold Daniel Jordan had been spotted slumped at the wheel of his carToni from Colchester was told that the frail pensioner was apparently asleep inside his stationary car parked outside Tescos supermarket in Tiptrees Church RoadRealising her elderly resident was a diabetic Toni left her office and rushed to the supermarket car park As soon as I was alerted it was my gut reaction that there was something seriously wrong said Toni who has worked at Colne Housings 24 unit Orchard Lodge scheme for one and a half yearsAlarm bells went off in my head because that this resident was known to me to be diabetic and insulin dependant and I realised that he was not just asleep but probably in need of urgent medical helpWhen I found his car he was slipping in and out of consciousness I immediately dialled 999 and waited with him until the ambulance arrived and he could be rushed to hospital for urgent treatmentMr Jordan went on to make a speedy recovery recovering in time to go ahead with his 80th birthday celebrationsNow Mr Jordans niece Eileen Thoms of Tiptree has praised Tonis fast response and commitment to her clients She went above and beyond the call of dutyShe could have simply called an ambulance from her office as the weather was horrific that day but she went the extra mile and rushed over to see for herselfWhat she did for my uncle was marvellous and very caring I couldnt ask for my uncle to be in a better place or to have a more caring Scheme OfficerI am also sure that if Toni had not done what she did he would not have been here to celebrate his 80th birthday with usCelebrating its 35th anniversary this year Colne Housing owns and manages more than 2000 affordable homes in north Essex and Suffolk including many offering resident based care for the elderlyColne Housing Chief Executive Executive Mark Powell Davies said Everyone at Colne is very proud of Toni who exceeded her normal duties on this occasion to save the life of one of our residentsToni is the friendly face for everyone who lives at Orchard Lodge which provides independent living for the over55sColne is proud of its great team spirit and we know how every one of our staff does everything they can and more to make sure our residents are getting the support that they needWe believe it is vital to have a strong management presence at all our sites Our residents really appreciate having someone on hand to help whenever they are needed and we take pride in offering the highest quality care for every one of our residents Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=112 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=113 Affordable homes provider Colne Housing is launching an ambitious new five year plan which sets the pace for north Essexs social housing programmeThe Colchesterbased Housing Society will provide over 500 new homes over the period and invest at least 12 million each year until 2013 in its own stock as part of its response to the Governmentled drive to significantly increase the number of affordable homesWithin the next five years Colne Housing pledges to own or manage over 2500 affordable homes for people in housing need in the local communityColne Housing which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year is also considering land banking and building homes for sale in order to make the most of the number of development opportunities in the regionColne Housing already owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex including Maldon Colchester and ClactonThe business plan spells out how it will boost this number to provide another 100150 new homes each yearChief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Colne is already ahead of the game in the Governmentled drive to enhance and improve the range of support and guidance provided to smaller local housing associations and other partnersThis is already happening on the ground and it is absolutely in line with our wish to extend our expertise and to be a partner of choice to voluntary statutory and private sector organisationsColne is proud to be setting the pace in increasing the range of support and professional expertise which is able to provide to other smaller housing associations and voluntary sector organisationsAdded Mark Powell Davies Colne will be working actively with its partners in the community to make sure that its residents have access to the full range of servicesOur residents are our number one priority and our aim is to provide the best quality most efficient and effective customer focused housing management and maintenance servicequot Sun, 30 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=113 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=114 Colchesters older terraced houses could hold the key to unlocking the stalemate caused by the glut of new flats which has seen prices tumbling and falling rental levels in the BoroughWith many wouldbe tenants unable to find family houses to rent traditional terraced Colchester houses offer the best yield performance despite the slump in the flats rental markets claims Richard Jones manager of Lettings Solutions Colchesters newest lettings agencyTheres not been a better time in recent years for landlords or homebuyers to buy a traditional two or threebedroomed family house says Mr Jones whose agency Lettings Solutions receives many calls from families urgently seeking houses to rent in ColchesterWith olderstyle terraced homes on the market for upwards of around 110000 Richard Jones says Colchester landlords can maximise their return by shifting from buying new flats where there is a glut to smaller family homes which are ideal for young couples with childrenSays Richard Rental yields which are generated by residential property investors are continuing to rise because more people are waiting and choosing to rent rather than buyingquotColchester is in line with the national yields which are around 63 per cent their highest level for almost two yearsWe know the demand for houses to rent in Colchester is high because we are getting calls from people wanting to rent them and the few houses which are available for rent are being snapped up much more quickly than flatsWhat people want is a traditional house with a small yard or garden for their children where they can avoid paying management fees on a leasehold propertyIf a landlord has the right house to rent people will move quickly to grab it but flats can be hanging around with no tenants for monthsLettings Solutions which offers a range of service levels from finding tenants through to rent collection and fully managed service offers a range of packages designed to minimises voids in tenanciesSays Richard We are run by a landlord for landlords and we will give honest opinions We understand the local market and the need for reliable economic rental assessmentsLettings Solutions believe it is crucial therefore to price at a realistic level within the market band Our aim is to achieve the highest sustainable level of rent for landlords with a minimum of expensive voidsThere is still a strong demand but it is very price sensitive and landlords need support and expertise in carrying out research to make sure they are asking a realistic rent We are happy to advise prospective buy to let landlords on potential rent levels when they are appraising possible purchases For more information and to contact Lettings Solutions call 01206 244750 or email infolettingssolutionscom Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=114 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=115 Colchesters older terraced houses could hold the key to unlocking the stalemate caused by the glut of new flats which has seen prices tumbling and falling rental levels in the BoroughWith many wouldbe tenants unable to find family houses to rent traditional terraced Colchester houses offer the best yield performance despite the slump in the flats rental markets claims Richard Jones manager of Lettings Solutions Colchesters newest lettings agencyTheres not been a better time in recent years for landlords or homebuyers to buy a traditional two or threebedroomed family house says Mr Jones whose agency Lettings Solutions receives many calls from families urgently seeking houses to rent in ColchesterWith olderstyle terraced homes on the market for upwards of around 110000 Richard Jones says Colchester landlords can maximise their return by shifting from buying new flats where there is a glut to smaller family homes which are ideal for young couples with childrenSays Richard Rental yields which are generated by residential property investors are continuing to rise because more people are waiting and choosing to rent rather than buying quotColchester is in line with the national yields which are around 63 per cent their highest level for almost two yearsWe know the demand for houses to rent in Colchester is high because we are getting calls from people wanting to rent them and the few houses which are available for rent are being snapped up much more quickly than flatsWhat people want is a traditional house with a small yard or garden for their children where they can avoid paying management fees on a leasehold propertyIf a landlord has the right house to rent people will move quickly to grab it but flats can be hanging around with no tenants for monthsLettings Solutions which offers a range of service levels from finding tenants through to rent collection and fully managed service offers a range of packages designed to minimises voids in tenanciesSays Richard We are run by a landlord for landlords and we will give honest opinions We understand the local market and the need for reliable economic rental assessmentsLettings Solutions believe it is crucial therefore to price at a realistic level within the market band Our aim is to achieve the highest sustainable level of rent for landlords with a minimum of expensive voidsThere is still a strong demand but it is very price sensitive and landlords need support and expertise in carrying out research to make sure they are asking a realistic rent We are happy to advise prospective buy to let landlords on potential rent levels when they are appraising possible purchases For more information and to contact Lettings Solutions call 01206 244750 or email infolettingssolutionscom Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=115 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=116 Colchester based Colne Housing Society is expanding its team in its 35th anniversary year with the appointment of a Leasehold Scheme Officer at one of its managed residential sites in the townHelen Bilham is Colne Housings newest recruit having previously worked for an Essex newspaper group and for outsourced contractors at the Lakeside Shopping Centre in ThurrockHelen who is now in post at the mixed 14 bungalows and 29 flats development for the over 55s at Orchard Gardens Ipswich Road Colchester was delighted to take up the post after moving to Colchester from south EssexShe said I am very pleased to work for Colne managing this established site and getting to know the community here some of whom have been here since it was built 20 years agoI enjoy working with the elderly because so many of them have had such fascinating lives and they all have so much to tell Every day is different and the Orchard Gardens scheme is a particularly attractive site to work inThere is a great team spirit at Colne and the job can be very rewarding when you can help resolve any problems and see that the site is well runColnes Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Helen is a great addition to our team as we launch our anniversary yearWe believe it is vital to have a strong management presence at all our sites and we know our residents really appreciate having someone on hand to help whenever they are neededHelen brings a wide range of work experience into the job and it all has involved working with people and looking after others She has a great deal of enthusiasm and experience to offer to the Orchard Gardens communityHelens duties include liaising with all internal and offsite staff including contractors as well as with residents and members of the public to deliver a high quality management service at Orchard GardensFor more information about sheltered leasehold homes offered by Colne Housing please email infocolnehousingcouk Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=116 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=117 Colchesterbased Colne Housing one of the countys leading housing associations has dug into its pockets for the planting of the first of 35 new trees planned for the borough as part of the associations 35th anniversaryColne Housing together with Myland Parish Council Colchester Borough Council and other agencies has cofunded the planting of a cherry tree in the community garden which is landscaped around a central sculpture located on the junction of Mill Road and the Northern Approaches More trees will be planted around the new housing development in Myland over the coming weeksThe community garden has been developed through the Community Action Mile End CAM project which was part funded by Colne Housing and the tree planting marked the end of the first phase of laying out the gardenThe Chairman of the Northern Approaches Action Group Myland Parish Councillor Martin Goss was joined at the planting by the team from Veolia Environmental Services Also taking part were local Myland resident Alison McCullagh and her 21monthold daughter SophieCAMs Community Development Officer Jo Wheatley said Weve worked with many groups in the community to develop this garden over the past two years and we are delighted that the tree planting marks the end of this important phaseWe are now looking forward to engaging all the local community from local schools to artists and allotment holders among others so many people take pleasure from garden and have offered to work with us to sustain and to manage the garden in the longer termWe hope it will inspire other green initiatives in the Myland area Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=117 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=118 Maldons first shared ownership homes for key workers will go on sale shortly offered through one of the regions leading housing associationsColchesterbased Colne Housing is now taking reservations from key workers in the Maldon district who may be interested in buying two affordable twobedroom apartments being built at Quest Place Maldon High StreetThe affordable homes are part of a larger development on the site which is due to be completed later this springKey workers may include local authority teachers health service workers police fire and ambulance workers and local Government workers Priority may be given to couples and candidates should live and or work in the Maldon districtEach Quest Place apartment has a market value of 180000 A stake of between 25 per cent and 80 per cent is available A minimum 25 per cent ownership share for 45000 Buyers will also pay a monthly rent to Colne Housing of 281in future years owners can but additional shares in their home to a maximum of 80 per cent As the share goes up the rent paid to Colne goes downColne Housings Leasehold Coordinator Jennifer Spencer says We are very excited about the opportunity this scheme will give to Maldons key workers to buy a home of their ownWe are aiming these apartments at key workers who may be unable to afford to buy a home on the open market Maldon does not want to lose its key workers just because they cannot afford to buy a home in the districtAlthough Colne Housing owns and manages more than 2000 homes across Essex the Maldon Quest Place development is the first shared ownership scheme we have developed in MaldonWe anticipate high levels of interest in the apartments and we are asking people to get in touch with us immediately if they are interestedFor further information and to apply contact Jennifer Spencer at Colne Housing on 01206 244742 or at jenniferspencercolnehousingcoukBoth twobedroom apartments have views over the Blackwater estuaryA 250 reservation is required for each apartment refundable on completion and there may be some support from Colne Housing with legal feesThe project has been developed by Iceni Homes in partnership with Maldon Council and Explore Living Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=118 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=119 The current cash crunch in the credit market may lead to Colchester landlords having to fork out for higher monthly repayments on expensive buytolet mortgages whilst at the same time facing a lack of tenants and stockpiles of vacant flatsThe alert comes from Richard Jones manager of Colchesters newest lettings agency Lettings Solutions which opens its doors this week in Colchester town centre The companys distinctive orange and grey boards are now going up in the town centre and throughout north EssexRichard adds One of the biggest challenges which Lettings Solutions has been set up to address is to support landlords who have properties in the area who are misleadingly being told they can achieve monthly rents at up to more than 20 per cent above the market rental levelsThese unrealistic figures are then not being achieved and so the flats remain empty a distortion which is resulting in hundreds of empty flats up for rent in the townOur new specialist lettings agency is committed to achieving a tenant for up to five years if required for a wide range of propertiesLettings solutions offers a range of packages which are designed to minimise voids in tenancies which are expensive to the landlords and wasteful of valuable accommodation explains RichardHe reveals that a single national website is listing a record 339 flats to let in Colchester this week an excess which Lettings Solutions is determined to addressLettings Solutions which is launched this week says the huge numbers of buytolet landlords buying off plan without seeing the finished building has led to about onethird of all properties on new developments becoming available to rent at the same time causing competition for tenants and pressure on achievable rent levelsRichard adds That is a huge amount of flats Without any doubt Colchester is suffering a glut particularly two bedroom flats for rent and the potential tenant has a big choiceEither these flats will continue to stand empty or landlords will need to appreciate that it is more important not to have a void in the tenancyIt is better to achieve a consistent level of rent rather than these improbably high rental levels which means many flats are currently standing emptyLettings Solutions believe it is crucial therefore to price at a realistic level within the market bandWe take the view that it is pointless for landlords to hold out for another perhaps 50amonth so as to raise another 600 annually when you may have lost 700amonth on an empty flat with no tenant and that loss will take a landlord over a year to recoupLettings Solutions will market a range of properties within an hour of Colchester offering a comprehensive and detailed marketing packageRichard Jones who has over 13 years experience in estate agency up to Senior Manager level and who is himself a landlord says Lettings Solutions will offer a range of service levels from finding tenants through to rent collection and a fully managed serviceHe adds Our strength will be that we are run by a landlord for landlords and we will give honest opinions We understand the local market and the need for reliable economic rental assessmentsOur aim is to achieve the highest sustainable level of rent for landlords with a minimum of expensive voidsThere is still a strong demand but it is very price sensitive and landlords need support and expertise in carrying out research to make sure they are asking a realistic rent We are happy to advise prospective buy to let landlords on potential rent levels when they are appraising possible purchases For more information and to contact Lettings Solutions call 01206 244750 or email infolettingssolutionscom Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=119 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=120 The longest serving member of staff at one of the regions leading housing associations was honoured recently for clocking up more than 30 years of continuous serviceColchester based Colne Housings Sally Thirkettle has been with the Society since 1978 She is now a housing manager and has seen many changes in affordable housing during this periodSally was presented with a gift by Board members and staff to mark her long service Sally said I love working at Colne and that is why I have chosen to stay so long with such a great organisation When I first started housing associations were in their infancy and Colne only had a few properties Since then I have seen the Society grow to more than 2000 homes across Essex Providing excellent quality homes for people is important to me and I am dedicated to giving the best service we can for tenantsBill Frame Chairman of Colne Housing said Sally is a shining example of dedication and loyalty She has given 30 years of truly excellent service and has been a major driving force in the Society Her contribution has been one of reasons for our continued successColne Housing is also celebrating its 35th anniversary this year and a series of events will take place to mark the milestone including a regional housing conference in October Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=120 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=121 One of the countys leading housing associations has warned that more affordable homes need to be built to curb the growing crisis of people on housing waiting lists in EssexColchester based Colne Housing has issued the stark warning following figures recently released by the National Housing Federation which revealed that 29538 households are on housing waiting lists in Essex The highest in the East of England In most parts of Essex housing waiting lists have more than doubled in the last five years and in Brentwood and Chelmsford lists have trebledWithin the East of England over 135000 households are waiting for a suitable homeThe report predicts even more misery for those wanting to get a foot on the property ladder with an average house price of 223000 for the county This is over 10 times the average income of people working in the areaMark Powell Davies Chief Executive of Colne Housing said These figures are very worrying indeed It is vital that local authorities grasp the nettle and increase the supply of affordable housing in their planning requirements and that government provides the necessary funding Although the recent fall in house prices will go someway to adjust the balance the fact remains that for most families or couples the chances of buying a property are far out of their financial reach Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=121 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=122 New research produced by the National Housing Federation has shown that 29538 households are on housing waiting lists within the county of Essex The highest in the East of England In most parts of Essex housing waiting lists have more than doubled in the last five years and in Brentwood and Chelmsford lists have trebledWithin the East of England over 135000 households are waiting for a suitable homeThe report predicts even more misery for those wanting to get a foot on the property ladder with an average house price of 22389 for the County rising to 314432 in Epping Forest Its proximity to London encourages commuters to buy homes out of the city pushing house prices far out of reach of local people forcing more and more people to seek housing helpDespite a period of lower house price inflation which will bring house prices back into line forecasters estimate a housing price crash is unlikely and they predict further house price gloom for the housing market in the region Indeed predictions show that house price inflation in the East will rise above the national average every year from 2009 2012Hometruths East of England The real cost of housing 20072012 warns that more and more people are left struggling to find a home of their own with no sign of hope for the futureFurther research shows that Families in 9 of the 12 Local Authorities in Essex will need to earn over 10 times their annual salary to afford a home House prices increased by 295 in the East of England in the period 1996 2006 the third fastest increase of any region in the country In over half the local authority areas in the East of England house prices have more than trebled in the last 10 years Even at the cheapest end of the market homes cost 7 times median regional incomes 26600 new households are expected to form in the region each year to 2026 For every two new affordable homes built in the region last year one existing home was lost through Right to BuyGina King Head of Region National Housing Federation saidWith house prices in the region set to rise faster than anywhere else in the country over the next five years we face an unhappy prospect of longer waiting lists more overcrowding and more adult children unable to move away from the parental homeFigures tell us that high demand from a fast growing population and a continued under provision of new housing supply will maintain pressure on an already over inflated housing market and this will mean that house prices will inevitably keep on risingOverall housing supply is running 25 below the level required while social housing provision is only half what it needs to be We welcome the recent Government announcement of 712 million for new housing investment in the region We recognise that this will produce an average of 8000 social homes a year to 2011 but it is still represents less that 75 of the homes neededFor further information please contact Dawn Cummins 07860 168639 dawnchousingorguk Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=122 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=123 Thousands of affordable homes across Norfolk Suffolk and North Essex are to be improved and upgraded by Eastern Procurement Consortium a major new consortium that represents key housing organisations across the region The works programmes are expected to be worth in excess of 90 million over the next four to six yearsThe consortium consisting of Freebridge Community Housing Havebury Housing Partnership North Norfolk Housing Trust Orwell Housing Association and Saffron Housing Trust together with Colne Housing Society Cotman Housing Association and Suffolk Housing Society has already received Government funding to prepare an overall business plan It is one of only eight consortiums nationally to be helped by Government in this way and the only one in the East RegionImprovement programmes such as new kitchens and bathrooms door and window replacements new or upgraded central heating and electrical rewiring will be implemented over the next four to six years Work is expected to start in September this yearWe are planning a massive programme of improvements across the region said Steve Tyree Head of Eastern Procurement Consortium These improvements will both improve and maintain all housing owned by our eight organisations at or beyond the decent homes standardBy joining together to undertake this work we will achieve better value in terms of efficiency and buying power than any single organisation could achieve on its own We have a large budget but there is much to be done to ensure we get the best value for money possible At the moment we are requesting Expressions of Interest from contractors and we expect to receive a considerable responseAs well as residents local trades people are also expected to benefit from the programme as it will ensure security of work over a long period Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=123 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=124 Colne Housing continues to expand its specialist team with the recruitment of a new Property Services Manager to oversee a record 3m budget which the leading housing association is investing in its stock of over 2000 affordable homesNewlyappointed Property Services Manager Steve Turrell is heading up a team of four in Colchesterbased Colne Housings Property Services DepartmentThe team is responsible for 18m which Colne is investing this year in repairs to its homes and another 12m on its major works programme including the installation of new bathrooms kitchens and general upgrades to electrical and other work across Colnes propertiesSteve 29 brings his expertise in technical management in the affordable housing sector to the post His role includes liaising with contractors as well as with residents and members of the public to deliver a high quality customer focused serviceSteve who lives in Sudbury adds Colne Housings outstanding range of affordable housing in attractive locations is among the finest in the countryMy role is to make sure each site is maintained to the highest standards and that our residents are always kept informed of our plans for ongoing improvementsOur residents are our number one priority and our aim is to provide the best quality most efficient and effective customer focused housing management and maintenance servicePreviously Steve worked for Suffolk Housing Society as a Technical Services Manager for four years after starting his career as a Maintenance InspectorColne Housings Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Steve is a valued and expert addition to Colnes highly experienced team We are committed to providing the best quality homes for the local community and I am sure Steve will be bringing his skills and experience to drive this forward Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=124 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=125 Agreement to acquire dozens of former Ministry of Defence MoD homes in Colchester has been secured thanks to a 125 m partnership which includes East Anglian developers Iceni Homes and Colchester CouncilA selection of 83 properties on Oakapple Close Colchester will be available at affordable rents through Colchester Councilaposs ChoiceBased Lettings Scheme to boost the homes hopes of local families struggling to keep a roof over their heads It is expected that the properties will be available over the next eighteen monthsIceni Homes the development arm of Colne Housing in Colchester is poised to begin refurbishment work on the former MoD family homes This significant development marks another key phase in Iceniaposs rapid growth as the Oakapple Close scheme will be one of Colne Housingaposs largest in Colchester The properties were acquired from Annington Homes one of the largest private owners of residential property in the UK and whose primary business is the refurbishment and sale of former MoD homes In February 2009 the MoD terminated the lease on these 83 homes as they were no longer needed and handed them back to Annington It had been Anningtonaposs intention to refurbish and sell these homes itself but a determined bid from Iceni Homes with a last minute intervention by Colchester Council completed the multi million pound funding deal Colchester Council stepped in to bridge the funding gap between the cost of the homes and the 121 million cash made available through Iceni Homes the Key Communities Consortium in the eastern region and The Homes and Communities AgencyColchester Councilaposs cash boost of an extra 407000 meant the 55m acquisition deal could be achieved and the refurbishment estimated to cost in the region of 7m can now proceed over the next eighteen MonthsIceni Managing Director Mike Goodson said quotIceni Homes is delighted that Colchester Council has stepped in to create the final link in the funding chain Its farsighted action has further enhanced our longstanding partnership with the local authorityquotColchester Councilaposs generous intervention means Iceni now has the capacity to expand its delivery of affordable homes and create an attractive community in the heart of Colchester offering new hopes of a home to dozens of hardpressed familiesColne Housing Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said quotThe Oakapple Close scheme is an exceptional opportunity for Colne Housing to enhance its outstanding track record for excellence in delivering new developments quotWe are delighted Colchester Council stepped in to enable us to move ahead with this scheme one of the largest Colne Housing will have ever delivered in the Colchester area quotThere is a great need for affordable houses in Colchester There is an abundance of flats however the demand for 23 bedroom houses is greater because they are more practical for families The area itself is in need for development and the council saw that opportunityquotCllr Anne Turrell Leader of Colchester Borough Council said Colchester Borough Council is committed to providing homes for all and improving the quality of life for residents in the borough Working together with Colne Housing we have been able to deliver this promise by providing a growing number of affordable homes for the benefit of our residentsWith a current programme totalling 18 million in 2008 Iceni Homes is the development arm of Colne Housing Society in Colchester Suffolk Housing Society in Bury St Edmunds and Hundred Houses in Cambridgeshire Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=125 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=128 The continuing high demand for affordable rented homes in Essex and Suffolk has led to a record uptake of a unique private sector leasing scheme run through leading Colchesterbased housing association Colne Housing Demand for Colne Housings private sector leasing scheme through which beleagured local landlords are offered guaranteed income over longer leases has rocketed in the past 12 months with over 100 people being offered a roof over their heads in 45 new leased properties despite the market downturn Now Colne Housing which owns and manages over 2100 affordable homes across Essex including Maldon Colchester and Clacton is set to grow its private sector leasing teamIt is already expanding into other local authorities including Suffolk Coastal and Maldon Colne Housing has also received pledges from other local authorities to acquire another 100 properties in the coming year Richard Jones Colne Housings New Business and Commercial Manager said landlords who struggle to find longterm tenants in a competitive market are happy with the scheme The recession has created the need for even more affordable homes to rent and we can offer a guaranteed income and a secure tenancyIts proving to be a safe choice for owners as they know their properties will be maintained they can expect to achieve guaranteed tenancy and a regular income with their investments protectedColne Housings decision to expand follows a survey of their existing landlord clients which reveals high levels of satisfaction with the service 100 of those responding said they would recommend the scheme to other landlordsColne Housings decision to expand its private sector leasing comes after a Council of Mortgage Lenders report reveals that buytolet landlords are losing their properties at over three times the rate of other homeownersAdds Richard Rents have often not lived up to expectations and as there are so many vacant properties to let many are unable to attract tenantsThere continues to be an excess of vacant houses and flats to rent and some landlords are getting into difficulties after paying too much for their buy to let investments when the market was stronger We are seeing landlords struggling to pay the mortgage and the additional service charges and with falling house prices many cannot afford to sell either In the first three months of 2009 there was an eightfold increase in the numbers of receivers of rent being appointed to collect the rent when the landlord defaults on the mortgageFor more information and to contact Colne Housing on 01206 244700 or email infocolnehousingcouk Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=128 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=142 One of the biggest development schemes ever undertaken by leading housing association Colne Housing has been unveiled in a special ceremony in Great Cornard SuffolkThe 85 million project at Stour Croft on the Bures Road in the village is being run in partnership with Babergh District Council who has worked with Colne to ensure the homes are provided at affordable rents This is also the first development by Colne Housing in the Babergh districtThe ceremony marks the opening of the first two phases of the scheme with 27 homes comprising of 7 x two bedroom houses 6 x three bedroom houses 2 x one bedroom flats 6 x two bedroom flats all at affordable rents and 5 x two bedroom houses and 1 x three bedroom semi detached house at Intermediate rentsChief Executive of Colne Housing Mark Powell Davies said This is one of the largest schemes Colne has been involved with and we are delighted to have worked in such close partnership with Babergh District Council Providing excellent quality affordable homes is essential and Stour Croft is a superb example of what can be achieved we are very proud of this project The opening ceremony was conducted by the Chairman of Babergh District Council Cllr Jennie Jenkins and along with the Chairman of the Councils Housing Panel Cllr Sue Wigglesworth Cllr Jennie Jenkins said This is a marvellous scheme for Great Cornard and will provide much needed housing for local people We have been delighted to work with Colne Housing and together we have provided this very attractive area for new affordable homes in BaberghStour Croft is being developed by Iceni Homes and constructed by Persimmon Homes There are another 80 homes to be built in the next phases and the scheme is scheduled for completion in December 2012 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=142 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=139 Balloons bouncy castles and buckets of popcorn marked a summer Getting to Know You day for dozens of Colne Housings residents living in one of the leading housing associations newest developments at New Braiswick Park ColchesterColne Housing manages a range of 57 affordable new houses and flats across three separate locations at Tufnell Way Braiswick site of the former Flaktwoods fan factory in ColchesterAll of the homes are widely spread across the Societys development so many of the families with young children had not previously had a chance to get togetherTo help the neighbours to get to know one another Housing Officer Laura Twitchett organised a fun day at New Braiswick Park to encourage all the Colne Housing residentsapos families to meet each other and enjoy a party on the adjacent playing fieldsAdds Laura Everyone had a great day enjoying the toddler soft play area the kidsapos bouncy castle and a separate one for adults and the balloon modellingThe purpose of the day was for the residents to have fun because that makes for happy children and happy parents We hope the introductions during the day will begin to build up a real neighbourhood community extending right across our three sitesThe affordable homes site at New Braiswick Park includes 47 general needs rented units and seven intermediate rented units and three shared ownership units The entire three bedroom townhouses have now been let through Colchester Borough Councils Choice based lettings schemeColne Housing Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Everyone at Colne Housing works hard to ensure that local families not only have the highest quality homes at affordable rents but also to create new communities that can offer neighbourly support and friendship to each other Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=139 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=141 Top BBC Essex gardening expert Ken Crowther put his skills to the test as he headed a team of judges for the Colne Housing Gardening CompetitionThe Colchester based housing association asked the broadcaster to help with its relaunched contest after a five year break Organisers were overwhelmed by the number of Colne residents who took part As a result the judging had to be split into two stages in order to get around all the blooming marvellous floral displaysThe entries were eventually short listed to eight and green fingered Ken Crowther helped to judge the finalists by selecting first and second prize winners in the Individual Garden and Small Area categoriesColnes Resident Involvement Officer and competition organiser James Scott said We were delighted with the response from our residents So many people went to a great deal of trouble to make their gardens patios and window boxes look so beautiful We also wanted to recognise those who do not have a garden yet still make their tubs and balcony displays look wonderful We shall now be making this competition an annual eventColnes competition was also featured on Ken Crowthers BBC Essex radio show where he interviewed James about the prize winning entries and how difficult it had been for the judges to make their final selectionsThe winners and runners up were Individual Garden Category1st Prize Winner Sonia Tucker Clacton 2nd Prize Winner Andrew Ladbrook ColchesterSmall Area Category1st Prize Winner Mrs Jo Lindner Colchester2nd Prize Winner Peter Blunt ClactonWith the competition now set to become an annual event for Colne Housing residents are already being encouraged to think about their displays for next year Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=141 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=143 Local firm Lettings Solutions has expanded its Colchester operation as a direct result of a recovery in the housing marketLaunched in 2008 with one member of staff Lettings Solutions has recruited two extra professionals to cope with demandManager Richard Jones said We have definitely seen an upturn in people looking for rented properties and we have responded to this by increasing our staff and the numbers of properties available We are very competitive on fees and we offer people what I regard as a very honest and trustworthy service As a result people know our name is held in high regardLettings Solutions new look team Richard Jones Sarah Byham and Dan Mitchell are busy leafleting door to door in Colchester as they search for more property to offer an increased number of wouldbe tenantsMr Jones added We need more private landlords to come forward with their property With the housing market moving especially with lettings this is an ideal opportunity for people to make their property investments available People are looking to move and renting is a very attractive offer for many who want a home of their ownMore details can be obtained on wwwlettingssolutionscom Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=143 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=144 Top Colchester United goal scorer Kevin Lisbie took a break from training to mark the opening of a new landmark apartment block of affordable homes within striking distance of the Us awardwinning Weston Homes Stadium The new apartments on a prominent north Colchester site known as Cuckoo Point are part of a larger mixed development area which borders both the Colchester Business Park and the community stadium The scheme will eventually include business retail and commercial units as well as other family homesThe apartments have been developed for Colchester based Colne Housing by its partner company Iceni Homes Families from Colchester Councils Choice Based Lettings programme have been offered the opportunity to move into the homes all of which will be for rent at affordable rates Chief Executive of Colne Mark Powell Davies said Cuckoo Point is another example of the superb quality affordable homes being built by us in Colchester We are committed to providing innovative high quality accommodation in highlydesirable locations across Colchester and north Essex Cuckoo Point includes 15 onebedroom apartments and six twobedroom apartments It offers modern design homes in a wooded environment which has good links to the A12 the Business Park and public transport to the town centre Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=144 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=145 I am just going outside and may be some time were the famous last words said by Captain Lawrence Oates as he left his colleagues including Captain Scott at the South Pole in 1912His memory and bravery were remembered at a special ceremony to mark the opening of Colne Housings latest development in Gestingthorpe near Halstead the family home of Captain OatesOn hand to take part was his great nephew Bryan Oates who spoke of his familys pride to have these new homes named after his famous relative Called Oates Cottages on Sudbury Road in the village the scheme provides six new homes which have been rented to local familiesThe project was opened officially by George Courtauld Chairman of the Rural Community Council of Essex who emphasised the importance of local people who are unable to buy homes in their villages having the ability to live in properties at affordable rents He praised the work of the Braintree District Council The Parish Council and Colne Housing for making this scheme become reality Chairman of Colne Housing Bill Frame said We are proud to remember Captain Oates and the work his family did for this village and 97 years after his brave death we are honoured to name this scheme after him Colne provides quality homes across north Essex and we are also committed to ensuring more affordable rural homes are developed Gestingthorpe is an excellent example There are four semidetached homes at affordable rents two with two bedrooms and two with three bedrooms plus two other twobedroom semis for shared ownershipPriority has been given to people who live in Gestingthorpe or who have a strong connection with that village or nearby areasThe six new homes have been built through a close partnership between Colne Housing development company Iceni Homes Gestingthorpe Parish Council Braintree District Council and the Rural Community Council of Essex Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=145 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=146 Colne Housing Society has brought a little Christmas cheer to Colchester Night Shelter this December with a donation of 600 The Colchester based housing association decided to forego sending out Christmas cards and instead donated the 500 saved to the Night Shelter which has been helping homeless people in Colchester since 1984 Furthermore staff at Colne also held a Christmas raffle which raised an additional 100 for the charityEstablished in 1973 Colne Housing owns and manages over 2000 affordable homes across Essex including Maldon Colchester and Clacton Commenting on the donation Colne Housing Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said The Colchester Night Shelter provides a fantastic service to those who are in desperate need of help and to be able to raise funds for such a worthwhile charity at this time of year has been a pleasure Mrs Pernille Petersen Colchester Night Shelter Cocoordinator commented We are currently undergoing a programme of refurbishment at the Night Shelter which will improve the quality of the environment that we can offer to our residents This donation will be put to very good use and we are delighted that Colne selected us as its chosen charity Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=146 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=147 Leading Essex based housing association Colne Housing has further strengthened its internal team with the appointment of five new members of staff Marnie Cameron has joined the Society as Community Development Officer With a wealth of experience behind her Marnie will be responsible for building relationships with local communities and will work with external agencies including the police youth workers and the local council to create partnerships that will result in safer happier neighbourhoodsSophie Hurst is the new leader of the Housing Team at Colne Having worked as a Housing Officer at Colchester Borough Homes for 5 years Sophie is well equipped for her new role at the forefront of estate management Furthermore Sophie is also currently studying for a Chartered Institute of Housing Foundation degree and is about to embark on year 3 of the 4 year course Jason Creighton is the new Income Management Team Leader Having worked in Income Management for a number of other local housing associations during the past 10 years Jasons previous experience knowledge and skills will enable him to undertake the sensitive issue of rent managementHeidi Hatch will be managing the Societys services to Colnes vulnerable residents in her new role as Supported Housing Coordinator By organising disabled adaptation requests and referrals to floating support services Heidi will provide a valuable first point of contactAnd finallyHelen Scatola has joined Colne as its new inhouse Public Relations and Communications Officer Responsible for all the Societys public relations marketing and communications material Helen will provide a first point of contact for the pressCommenting on the new appointments Chief Executive Mark Powell Davies said Each of our new recruits brings a different skill set to the Colne Housing mix and reflects the growth and strength of the society We welcome them all and wish them long and successful careers Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=147 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=148 Saving for a rainy day is not an easy thing to do but Colne Housing is hoping that it will become a little easier with the introduction of a collection point for the Essex Savers Credit Union at its town centre offices The Colchester based Society has launched the service so that anyone living or working in the county of Essex can either save money or take out a loan at a low rate of interest The difference between Essex Savers Credit Union and a bank is that the Union is a profitsharing nonpolitical financial cooperative which is owned and controlled by its members and exists exclusively to help members save and borrow Chief Executive of Colne Housing Mark Powell Davies said As a regional housing association it is important to be an integral part of our community and we feel the introduction of the Essex Savers collection point enables us to offer those living in our area an alternative to traditional banking Credit Unions provide an excellent way to save as much or as little as possible and to be able to borrow money in a safe and secure wayThe collection point at Colnes offices in Colchester is open from 3pm 4pm every Tuesday and from 10am 11am every Wednesday If you live in Colchester it is worth remembering that you can also contact the Colchester Credit Union at Colchester Credit Union Limited Greenstead Cooperative Resource Centre Colchester CO4 3PX Tel 01206 798823 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=148 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=150 The restoration of the Forest Road Meeting Hall on the Greenstead estate in Colchester has moved another step closer following successful consultation with local residents The hall has been standing empty for a number of years and has fallen into a state of disrepair something that Colchester based housing association Colne Housing wants to rectify In a bid to provide a new focal point for the Greenstead community the society has put funds in place to totally renovate the building and pay for the first twelve months rent Marnie Cameron Community Development Officer Colne Housing commented The meeting hall offers the local community enormous potential and we hope that residents will get behind the project Should it get the goahead we hope the centre will be renovated and up and running by the end of spring making it available for public hire junior youth activities and other community groupsFeedback from a recent Have your say evening and neighbourhood survey has been extremely positive and the proposed reopening of the centre has been welcomed with open arms Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=150 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=151 Set up by Colchester based housing association Colne Housing Society the Colne Community Fund provides small grants to projects that support the local community The grants range from 50 to 500 and any community group or organisation is eligible so long the specified project has a direct impact on the local neighbourhood A panel of Colne staff and Colne residents assesses each application and decisions are based on the sustainability of the schemeThe fund has been a huge success so far and recent recipients of awards have included DWS Swimming given 400 for the provision of two shower chairs to aid those with disabilities K2 and Kube Youth Clubs in the Hythe area of Colchester who received 500 to purchase a snooker table and various arts and crafts supplies and the School Lane 02 project in Lawford who were awarded 500 to cover the costs of improving the surface area of the under 7s playgroundIf your organisation needs financial support for a community project 3000 is still available until the end of March Application forms can be downloaded from httpwwwcolnehousingcoukmediapdfSmallGrantsApplicationFormpdf via email at ccfcolnehousingcouk or by calling Hayley Owen on 01206 244719 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=151 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=152 Burns Night was celebrated in style this year at Ironside Walk sheltered housing scheme in Manningtree Essex The evening was organised by Ironside Walk resident Mr Alfred CampbellSmith A former chef Mr Campbell Smith despite being severely disabled prepared all the food and made sure that the whole evening ran like clockworkOn arrival guests were treated to traditional Scottish music played on the bagpipes and served canaps of smoked salmon on oatcakes and ginger wine The haggis was then welcomed to the feast and received with the customary toasting and Burns ode Address to the haggis before being sliced open by a dirk a Scottish dagger and served with neeps and tatties Mr Campbell Smith who moved to Essex from Scotland in 1946 commented I am extremely proud of my Scottish heritage and wanted to celebrate Burns Night in the traditional way bringing a little piece of Scotland to rural Essex I am delighted that so many of my fellow residents friends and family were able to join in with the festivities we all had an excellent time and I am already looking forward to next yearIronside Walk is owned by Colne Housing Society and is specifically for frail or elderly individuals who require a minimum of 4 hours personal care per week Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=152 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=153 It was a team building day with a difference when Colne Housings management team decided that they wanted to do something worthwhile and that would actually make a difference to one of the communities in which the Colchester based housing association society operates The result was a full days labour at Tollesbury Community CentreThe Save our Schoolroom project is the brainchild of Tollesbury Community Association who is raising funds to restore the former Congregational Church and now Community Centre to its former glory Complex problems with the lease meant that it wasnt possible to raise the grants needed to bring the building up to standard so it has continued to deteriorate and earlier this year the annexe Schoolroom was closed due to safety concernsThe team from Colne undertook numerous essential tasks during the day including a rather impressive Groundforce style renovation of the garden serving the schoolroom painting and tidying a community shed in the rear gardens and painting the walls of the room to be the new kitchen Colne also part funded the new kitchen with a donation of 10000 from the Colne Community Fund an initiative developed by the Society to provide financial assistance to organisations operating in the local communityThe result of the teams hard work was clear to see to all when the new kitchen was officially launched on the 10th January 2010Mark Powell Davies Chief Executive Colne Housing commented Tollesbury has a great sense of community spirit and the Save our Schoolroom project is incredibly worthwhile It was extremely rewarding to achieve something as a team that actually made a visible difference to the local village Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=153 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=154 Colne Housing Society and Essex based Estuary Housing Association has started work on a joint project to improve the provision of youth services in and around the Forest Park Avenue and Chantry Close areas of ClactonThe project came about as a result of a public consultation that took place on the estate which explored how residents felt about their neighbourhood The overwhelming feedback was that there wasnt enough for young people to do in the areaIn light of the response a partnership was established between the two housing associations and Integrated Youth Services to develop opportunities for young people living in the area working with them listening to their views and helping them decide what they would like to see happening on the estate The first step was to employ a Youth Worker who has teamed up with two members of the Integrated Youth Services Team Together they will deliver detached youth work on the estate two evenings a week provisionally Mondays 530830pm and Wednesdays 600900pm where there will be access to a Youth Bus The new youth worker Stuart Barber will also spend time talking to local agencies and establishing partnerships with a view to improving access to services for young people in and around the areaAimed at 1319 year olds the provision will initially run for four months and should it be a success the aim is to extend it further The youth workers will be on the estate on Monday 19th April from 6pm to enable young people to come along and find out whats on offer Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=154 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=155 As the general election looms Colne Housing Society the Colchester based provider of social housing has highlighted the importance of continued investment in the building of affordable homes With the recent publication of the election manifestos still fresh in peoples minds the society is warning that the escalating housing crisis should be a priority for whichever political party takes government In the year 20082009 housing associations were responsible for building 118000 homes half the number actually needed and if the housing budget is not ringfenced and protected then up to 560000 planned affordable homes may be at risk over the next decade The current election campaign is taking place against a backdrop of some startling statistics 45 million people are currently on housing waiting lists the average age of a firsttime buyer is now 37 with the average deposit having reached 30000 and half a million people are living in overcrowded conditions Add to this unemployment reaching 32 million and the situation becomes untenable Mark Powell Davies Chief Executive Colne Housing commented A home is one of the most basic of human needs and it is becoming harder and harder for many people to secure an affordable one Regardless of the election promises of the three main political parties it is essential that funding for social housing is maintained to enable housing associations to increase the supply of desperately needed affordable homes Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=155 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=156 Colne Housing Society the Colchester based provider of social housing has been shortlisted for the prominent What we are proud of awards organised by the National Housing Federation The awards aim to celebrate the many innovative schemes that housing associations develop each year showcasing how projects are developed with the wider community in mind and the positive impact that they have both on residents and the surrounding neighbourhood they serveColne has been shortlisted for its supported living scheme Elm Tree Court in HalsteadThe development has enabled eight residents each with learning disabilities to move out of Nether Priors the residential care home they had been living in and into their own flats which have been specifically tailored to meet their individual requirements As a result residents of Elm Tree Court are now able to live independently for the first time playing an active role within their local community but safe in knowledge that help is at hand if neededOn July 1st Colne will present its entry along with two other shortlisted associations at the East of England finals in Newmarket The overall regional winner will then go through to the national finals at the National Housing Federations annual conference in Birmingham on 23 September Claire Astbury East of England regional manager for the National Housing Federation said Our annual What We Are Proud of Awards are a great opportunity to shout out about some of the best projects run by housing associations in the region Our tenant judges had to shortlist down from a large number of entries and these three initiatives have done well to make it through to the regional heats Although only one of these projects can go through to the national finals they all deserve recognition for the difference they are making in their communities Mark Powell Davies Chief Executive Colne Housing Society commented The society is particularly proud of the Elm Tree Court development and the incredible impact it has had on the lives of its residents and the surrounding community To have the scheme recognised at a national award level is testament to the hard work that Colne and its partners at Essex County Council and Braintree District Council put into ensuring that the project was a success Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=156 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=157 Eight residents with learning disabilities now have tailormade homes to call their own after a new supported living scheme was opened by Colne Housing in HalsteadThe official launch of Elm Tree Court in Colchester Road on Friday 16th July was the culmination of a threeyear project which saw 13 residents rehoused from nearby residential care home Nether PriorsThe Essex County Councilrun home had been recommended for closure due to the age and design of the building which was lacking full wheelchair access and was too small to comfortably house its 13 residentsColne Housing beat off stiff competition to win a tender to provide supported housing for these residents five of whom have since settled into two bungalows in Halstead Meanwhile the remaining eight residents continued living at the care home until a new threestorey block of supported living accommodation was constructed by Suffolk based builders Elliston Steady amp Hawes overseen by developers Iceni HomesClare Lawrance Supported Housing Manager of Colne Housing said the Society had been careful to include the residents views wherever possible throughout the projectShe said Key members of our staff supported by colleagues from supported housing provider Papworth Trust made a presentation using pictures and flash cards to residents and relatives at the start of the projectSince then the eight residents and their families have been involved in each stage of the process ensuring that the new accommodation met each of their individual needsDuring a Choices Day last autumn each resident chose their kitchen units worktops and handles bathroom and kitchen floors carpets wall colours and the colour of their front doors The residents also chose the name of the new building Elm Tree Court after a tree that had been removed from the siteSuch personcentred practice resulted in the project being one of just three schemes from the east of England shortlisted in the National Housing Federations 2010 What We Are Proud Of awardsThese awards celebrate the innovative schemes that housing associations develop each year showcasing how projects are developed with the wider community in mind and the positive impact they can have on residents and the surrounding neighbourhoodColne Housing Chairman Bill Frame said We were delighted to have been a finalist for this prestigious award and we are truly proud of this project It just shows the hard work and commitment our staff put into building relationships with residents and the success of the scheme as a wholeThe opening ceremony of Elm Tree Court was conducted by Essex County Council Chairman Cllr Rodney Bass along with Cabinet Member for Adults Health and Community Wellbeing Cllr Ann Naylor Cllr Naylor said This is a marvellous project for Halstead and means the residents are now able to live independently for the first time They can play an active role in their local community but feel confident that help is at hand if needed Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.colnehousing.co.uk/corporate/news/view-news.php?id=157