Rowan Park housing development 'to boost Merton area'

Merton's Rowan Park housing development will provide a number of top-of-the-range properties for the area.

A 2.6 hectare landscaped public park and 217 homes - consisting of 131 family properties and 86 apartments - are being built as part of the scheme, which has been nominated for a National Housing Design award. Each dwelling will have solar panels on the roof, while 278 car parking bays and 171 cycle parking spaces are also being created.

For many, a house here could represent the best property to rent in Merton. Some 30 per cent fall into the affordable-to-purchase category and another ten per cent will be offloaded through a first-time buyer initiative.

Councillor Andrew Judge, Merton Council's cabinet member for environmental sustainability and regeneration, said: "We all know how housing is in huge demand, especially affordable housing in and around London. Rowan Park goes part of the way to providing some high-quality affordable housing."

He added being nominated for the award is great and testament to the hard work that is going into making this development a success. The expert went on to note the green credentials of the project cannot be questioned.

"I am sure this site will serve as an example of financially and environmentally sustainable construction which other local authorities and the construction industry will want to emulate," Mr Judge remarked.

Residents can look forward to making considerable savings on their energy bills thanks to the installation of solar panels and insulation. Individuals may be able to generate up to £500 per year through feed-in tariffs, a scheme whereby people can sell additional energy back to the National Grid.

The Safer Merton Partnership - which counts Merton Council as a member - has been shortlisted by the Municipal Journal for the Local Government Achievement Awards 2012. This highlights the ability of the local authority to take a joined-up approach to decision making in order to deliver a safer neighbourhood for people.

Posted by Martyn Glynn

Published 2nd May, 2012

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