Custom House Court Connah’s Quay Official Opening

The first new council houses to be built in Wales in over 20 years, were officially opened by Cllr. Aaron Shotton, Leader of Flintshire County Council, on Friday, 10 February. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Tenants moved into twelve new council properties at Custom House Court in Connah’s Quay just before Christmas. Built on the site of the former Custom House Lane School, the development is the first site to be completed as part of Flintshire County Council’s Strategic Housing and Regeneration Programme (SHARP), which will provide 200 council homes and 300 affordable homes over the next five years. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Council has worked closely with its strategic partner, Wates Residential, to ensure that the properties have been built to a high quality standard with features that are both modern and energy efficient to keep running costs at a manageable level. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Driven by the Council’s Flintshire House Standard Design, the foundation for all new housing delivered through SHARP which includes requirements for consistent good quality internal layout of properties and adequate parking, the design of Custom House Court also imitates and incorporates features of the former school. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Leader of Flintshire County Council, Councillor Aaron Shotton, said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

‘The completion of the first new council houses in a generation at Custom House Court marks the beginning of an exciting period for the Council in realising our long held ambition to provide new and much-needed quality social housing across the County. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

‘I felt very proud to meet some of the new tenants recently as they saw their new homes for the first time. I was pleased to hear the tenants speak of “a new chapter” in their lives and how excited they were to be moving into Custom House Court.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The new Custom House Court development has brought benefits for the local community, including an investment of £220,000 to provide 524 training weeks for over 130 local people. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Wates Residential’s effort to help the local economy has also seen the developer spend over £1m with local businesses throughout the development of Custom House Court. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Joanne Jameson, Managing Director, Wates Residential, said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The official opening of Custom House Court is the perfect opportunity to take stock of what has been achieved in the delivery of this fantastic new development. As the first to reach completion under Flintshire County Council’s SHARP initiative, these homes represent what can be achieved in terms of quality when a team works together towards a common goal. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Not only will the new homes at Custom House Court make a difference to the lives of residents, but they have also brought with them many opportunities to give back to the local community and our hope is that the benefits created will be felt by local people for generations to come.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Aaron Shotton with Flintshire councillors and officers, the Chairman of Connah’s Quay Town Council, tenants of Custom House Court, representatives of Ysgol Cae’r Nant and Wates Residential officials ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​