Shay was born to mother Suzanne on 29th May and is shown in the arms of Pottery Quay’s longest term resident Eileen Hancock who moved in at 4 years old before the war, when the rent was 7 shillings and 11d per week!
Saturday 27th June at Pottery Quay, Devonport, Plymouth
Residents invited partners Westcountry Housing, Guinness Hermitage and Plymouth City Council to their celebrations at Pottery Quay on Saturday to celebrate the fruition of the community centre and play area at the urban regeneration housing scheme.
Photo shows Terry Leech - Westcountry Housing Community Co-ordinator, Genine Farnos - Guinness Hermitage Community Investment Officer, Pat Hammett - Westcountry Housing’s Community Champion and Maria Carr - Secretary of Residents’ Group.
Maria Carr, secretary of the Residents Association said, “It was a brilliant day and the residents really pulled together to make it work. I was so impressed. If anyone want sto come forward with suggestions please do so as it is our space to use. The centre is available for bookings, so please just ask.”
The community centre is across the ground floor of one building and will be jointly managed by residents of both housing associations.
The 100 new homes at Pottery Quay include a blend of flats and houses, some with garages, to ensure much needed family homes are provided in the area.
Pottery Quay flats were formerly managed by Plymouth City Council and Guinness Hermitage and Westcountry Housing were appointed to redevelop the site which was done by Midas Homes who started work in 2004.
Many of the residents at Pottery Quay have lived there for most of their lives. There are strong family connections and so many of those who moved out whilst the work was done, chose to move back again afterwards.
Residents moved off site in phases whilst homes were demolished and rebuilt. The last of the pre-war flats have now gone and been replaced with new family homes.
Chair of Westcountry Housing, Mike Winwood, said: “Pottery Quay is an excellent example of what can be achieved by parternship work to improve homes and support what is a historic community. I was very impressed how closely residents have worked on having input into the development of this housing scheme and the play area certainly seems to be well used. I am sure the community centre will be a valuable addition.”
Pottery Quay has residents who can trace their family living there back to the 1800s and community development staff worked with residents on a museum exhibition and even a book about the social history of the area.
Pat Hammett,Westcountry Housing’s Community Champion, and Joan Hosking,Vice-Chair of the South West Area Residents Panel, and a member of the Guinness Hermitage South West Committee, jointly officially opened the centre by cutting a ribbon, then there was the cutting of the celebratory cakes, a barbeque, a tug of war, children’s arts and crafts, and a great dance performance by some of the younger residents.
The close-knit Pottery Quay community has been involved in the regeneration process through a Community Engagement project funded jointly by Westcountry Housing, Guinness Hermitage and the former Housing Corporation.
To read our other PRESS RELEASES (most recent first) use the following links:
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Denyer Court sheltered scheme celebrates 25th anniversary
Greenbank Chapel re-opened for local youth
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Residents from Westcountry Housing and Tarka Housing have come together to form auditors.www, a Resident Auditors group
Read about Westcountry Housing being joint winners of the Richard Fielden Award for Broadclose. Photography: Tim Crocker.
For all media related inquiries either click on my name to open an electronic form and email me Vanessa Gray, Communications Manager
or: Tel: 01803 217500 or Mobile: 07515 097006
Westward Housing Group, Hatfield House, Hatfield Road, Torquay, TQ1 3HF