First residents move into new affordable homes at former St Kilda care home site
The development, which cost £5.3 million, provides 23 high-quality and affordable homes for local people aged over 55, marking a significant milestone in Torbay Council's efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing across the area.
The first residents have received keys to their new homes at the former St Kilda care home site in Brixham.
The site, which had stood empty since 2016, has been brought back to life.
On Monday, October 19, the first residents began moving into their new homes, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
Cllr Alan Tyerman, Torbay Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, highlighted the significance of the site’s regeneration for the local area.
He said: “The completion of St. Kilda marks a proud milestone for Torbay. “
“The development provides much-needed affordable homes for local people aged over 55 and represents the first social rented housing delivered by Torbay Council for older residents in a number of years.”
"We have transformed a site that stood empty for almost a decade into high-quality homes that local people can be proud of.”
“Most importantly, residents can now begin moving in and enjoy the security and stability that an affordable home provides.”
The development cost £5.3 million and transformed the site into 23 high-quality and affordable homes, with a mix of 15 one-bedroom and 8 two-bedroom apartments.
The apartments are designed to support independent living for people aged 55 and over and are modern and energy-efficient, making them affordable to run.
The site also has cycle storage and parking with both accessible parking bays and EV charging points.
The project was delivered by Torbay Council in partnership with Classic Builders and forms part of the council’s wider efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing across Torbay, while bringing empty buildings back into use for the benefit of the community.
Funding for the development came from Homes England, the government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund and considerable borrowing and investment from Torbay Council.
In light of the completion of the development, Chris Herron, Contracts Manager at Classic Builders reflected on the process and said: “Classic Builders is delighted to see St Kilda transformed into high-quality new homes for local people.”
“Challenges on this site included a complex demolition, removal of a considerable amount of asbestos & dealing with environmental protections for sites of this type, but this makes this achievement all the more rewarding.”
As residents begin moving into their new homes over the coming days, the development marks an important milestone for all involved.