New council housing has been completed in Reading in a project that has been years in the making.
Reading Borough Council has completed the development of 46 new council homes at the Coley housing estate in Wensley Road.
The project involved the demolition of 29 garages, and construction on greenspace an old play area, so new terraced homes and flats could be built, along with a new play area.
The homes have been created to allow families to move into new council properties, many of whom lived in the three high-rise flats.
Councillor Ellie Emberson (Labour, Coley), who represents the area, said: “I’ll be honest, I think it’s been a long time coming, but I want to thank all the staff, all the partners, everyone who’s been involved in the project, and to finally see it arriving and see people actually getting ready to move in, we’ve got people in the houses already and the people in the flats.
“It doesn’t get much better than this, I think this is why many of us become councillors, it’s to make a difference, and this is actually where we can tangibly help.
“I’m so excited to be here finally, and grateful to tenants who have been really patient but it’s all been worth it and I can’t wait to see everyone moved in.”
Cllr Emberson was previously the lead councillor for housing, who played a key role in devising council housing delivery.
The opening forms part of the borough’s wider project to deliver more than 400 council homes, and improvements to existing stock, which includes the regeneration of the high-rise flats.
Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading Central, said: “This is a wonderful day, this is really significant, these flats and maisonettes here will make an enormous difference to the lives of local residents.
“It’s the beginning of a much bigger programme that’s going to transform the lives of hundreds of people in Reading, and it’s a great success of the council.
“Can I thank everybody who’s been involved, though all the staff, the workforce who built them, the council staff and housing officers, the architect, the umpteen other people, the contractors who over a number of years have worked on this project and produced something really special.
“It’s a real significant step forward for the community here in Coley and the town.”
Mr Rodda mentioned that he got permission from his Labour whip to miss debates in Parliament to be able to attend.
The Marigold Court flats were opened in a ribbon-cutting by Olivia, who was given a two-bed flat.
The event was attended by fellow Labour Coley representatives Liz Terry, the council leader, cllr Paul Gittings and cllr Matt Yeo (Labour, Caversham), lead for housing.
The project was approved in August 2020, with six councillors voting for it and four opposition councillors voting against it.
The area was previously dogged by a rat infestation that year, with contractors being used to resolve the issue.
Cllr Yeo mentioned that the other council housing projects include 42 new one-bedroom homes to be built for people aged over 55 in Hexham Road, 30 homes in Dwyer Road and 17 homes in Amethyst Lane, both in Southcote.
