Home joy for Derker woman
17 July 2007
A Derker woman who has always dreamed of living in a brand new home has made her first step onto the property ladder thanks to a special scheme.
Dianne Murray, 27, has moved into a two bedroom house at a new development called Stoneleigh in Derker using shared ownership, operated by Northern Counties Housing Association.
The college administrator says she’s struck lucky because she can stay close to neighbours and friends but also enjoy the benefits of a modern house.
Dianne bought a 25% share of the home in Fairbourne Walk after reading about the initiative in the regular Housing Market Renewal newsletter. The shared ownership scheme means she only pays some of the purchase price of the home, and a reduced rent on the rest, with the option to increase her share when she wants.
She said, “I still can’t believe that I’ve made it onto the property ladder. The house I was renting needed a lot of work, so I absolutely love being in a brand new home with a garden and my own parking space.
“I’ve been helped every step of the way by the teams from Northern Counties and Housing Market Renewal. I think that all the regeneration work going on in Derker will make sure it’s a good investment.”
Dianne was keen to stay close to family and friends, but had her heart set on a new home. The Stoneleigh development, which is on the site of the former Granville Cotton Mill which burned down in the 90s, is the first development in Derker built through the ambitious Housing Market Renewal programme. The multi-million pound initiative aims to raise the prosperity of areas that have suffered from lower property prices.
Dianne said, “If Stoneleigh hadn’t been here, I would have looked at moving elsewhere, so it’s fantastic that I can stay in Derker and have an up-to-date house. Shared ownership was right for me because it means I can afford to buy in my own time without being scared of taking on too much debt.”
Cllr. Dave Hibbert, Cabinet Member for Environment and Regeneration said, “We are now entering the more positive phase of the regeneration of Derker. It is very encouraging to hear that Dianne is enjoying the benefits of our team work in the area. The whole purpose of the exercise is to improve the quality of life for residents and Dianne, and many others, are evidence that we are succeeding.”
Alison Dale of Northern Counties Housing Association said, “We have had a lot of interest in shared ownership and so far 11 people from Oldham are using it to buy homes at the new Stoneleigh development. We are pleased that we helped Dianne understand and take advantage of the scheme to move to the home she wanted.”
The Oldham Rochdale HMR Pathfinder is investing millions of pounds in areas of Oldham. More than £20 million has already been invested in Derker with a further £8 million committed for this year. Working closely with developers to improve the choice of housing on offer is a major element of HMR. More than 120 existing homes in Derker have benefited from extensive refurbishments and HMR also invests in environmental improvements to enhance perceptions of the area.
McInerney Homes have completed 35 apartments and houses at Stoneleigh and a further 38 will be complete by Spring 2008. The majority of new homes will be for sale.