Council tenants Lillian and Karen have moved into their new apartments at the Timber Works development by Cambridge Investment Partnership on Cromwell Road, after having been neighbours in their previous homes at Fanshawe Road, which is soon to be redeveloped into brand new sustainable council homes.
Lilian explains, “I had lived in Fanshawe Road for 42 years, from a little while after it was built. I made a lot of friends there.”
By contrast, Karen only moved into Fanshawe Road with her family in 2019, in the flat above Lilian’s, but the new neighbours quickly became close.
“When I first moved into Fanshawe Road we didn’t know each other from Adam,” said Karen, “and now she’s like a second mother to me.”
“I helped Lil with her shopping, went to the chemist to pick up her medication – I do what I can for Lil. We always said if we had to move, it would be nice to be next door so I could keep an eye on Lil.”
When the tenants at Fanshawe Road received confirmation from the council that the old flats were going to make way for a new development of council homes, Lillian and Karen approached the council with an idea. “I asked the council, if we move, could we move together so we can still help each other out,” explained Karen.
The team could see the strong ‘almost family’ relationship that had been formed between the new neighbours and began looking around to see if there was anywhere suitable for them where they could still live close to each other.
The CIP team found two neighbouring ground floor apartments at Timber Works which look out onto one of the development’s new parks. Lillian and Karen went to visit, liked what they saw, and moved into their new homes just before Christmas 2022.
Karen says: “It’s all new, the kids are settled, they’re happy here – and happy that Lil’s next door. They love being with Nanny! If we couldn’t have moved together, I think I would be a nervous wreck, because I’d be too worried about her. And her and my son are so close, which is why I didn’t want to break that relationship. If he’s had a bad day he’ll go over and see Lil, and I still know exactly where he is.”
Lilian continues, “There’s a nice play area out front, it’s like our garden, and I can take my dog out in the morning and the evening. I’ve got good access for my wheelchair, the passage is nice and big. I like the flat, now I’ve been in a couple of months.”
“I like having the park just there,” agrees Karen. “You can have cup of tea, watch the kids and get to know your neighbours. When you have two young kids it’s nice to have an open-plan kitchen where you can still keep an eye on them. But really it’s just lovely that we’re still living next door to each other in our new homes. It’s great that we have been helped to make this happen.”
Timberworks comprises 118 new council rented homes, all of which are wheelchair accessible and one two-bedroom property specially adapted for wheelchair users. Once completed there will also be 173 private sale homes, landscaped central park and open spaces, play equipment, public art, parking for cars and bicycle parking including a basement car park plus electric vehicle charging spaces for every house and 10% of the communal area.