Bernicia completes £13.5 million Berwick scheme

A Northumberland housing provider has completed a £13.5 million affordable housing development designed to help meet growing local demand for new homes.

Bernicia has delivered the final property at Seton Gardens in Berwick, marking the completion of a 56-home scheme developed in partnership with Advance Northumberland.

The development is the first new affordable housing built in the town for more than a decade and provides a mix of homes for rent and shared ownership.

Local people were prioritised for the properties, which include two and three-bedroom bungalows and two, three and four-bedroom houses.

Among the latest residents are Kerrie and Steven Yourston, their children Macy, 18, and ten-year-old Noah, and family dog Hollie, who moved into a new three-bedroom home after facing uncertainty when their private rental tenancy came to an end.

Kerrie said: “I was over the moon when Alex from Bernicia called to say we’d been accepted for a home, I was crying, I couldn’t believe it, we didn’t know where we would go.

“Bernicia has been a godsend. 

“It’s been three months of hell. 

“Noah’s been worried about where he would go but now he’s excited he gets to stay and play with his friends.”

Steven, Berwick born and bred and a local factory worker, added: “It’s unreal that we’ve got this place. 

“We were really struggling to find a three-bedroom home which are the hardest to come by.”

Steven Harrison, Advance Northumberland chief executive, added: “It is really touching to see the Yourston family enter their new home for the first time, to see how excited their son was, which makes me proud to work for Advance Northumberland.”

Pictured, from left to right, are Steven Harrison, chief executive of Advance Northumberland; Kyra Thompson, Bernicia housing officer; with Steven, Noah and Kerrie Yourston and Jeff Boyd, development director at Bernicia 

The £13.5 million scheme was supported by funding from Homes England and Northumberland County Council and aims to address a shortage of affordable housing in the area.

Seton Gardens offers homes at social rent levels, providing a more affordable alternative to many private rental properties in the local market.

Councillor Glen Sanderson, leader of Northumberland County Council, added: “Seton Gardens is an absolutely fantastic development, delivered by Bernicia with Advance Northumberland and Northumberland County Council.

“The homes were definitely needed, it’s a great development and people will really enjoying living here.

"I’m very proud that Advance Northumberland and the County Council have worked so well with Bernica to deliver these super houses in Berwick which have all been taken so quickly - I hope we might keep this kind of partnership in future and do more.”

Ward Councillor Georgina Hill added: “This is a fantastic development in creating much needed houses for families in Berwick. 

“We’re really short of social housing here and elsewhere so that’s why it’s so fantastic that Bernicia, with the support of Advance Northumberland and the county council, have come together to create this much needed development.”

The completion comes as Bernicia continues to expand its housing programme, supported by a £100 million loan from Barclays to help deliver up to 1,000 affordable homes over the next five years.

Jeff Boyd, development director at Bernicia, added: “We’ve had a hugely positive response in Berwick to the new homes and seeing the reaction of people moving in reinforces how important a good home is in people’s lives.”

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