An appeal has been made for disused buildings in Keswick which may be used to add to the stock of affordable homes in the town to be identified.
It follows the repurposing of a property, formerly used as a bike shop on Otley Road, which has now been converted by Allerdale council to accommodate four new one-bed flats. The Reminder reported last week that the flats are set to receive their first residents within the next month.
At the annual town meeting, Bill Bewley, chair of Keswick Community Housing Trust, said it had entered into a five-year lease to manage the flats.
“Otley Road is an excellent example of a building being repurposed for use as affordable housing, however having just completed the allocation process, the KCHT could easily have filled the flats many times over,” said Mr Bewley.
“The 21 applications we received highlighted the breadth of circumstances of those looking for accommodation in Keswick — with several couples, ages ranging from 20s to 50s, and also people with shared parental responsibility for children after relationship breakdowns.
“Last November, we received 56 applications when we advertised two houses on Calvert Way for rent.
“With the ongoing loss of housing in Keswick to the holiday cottage business or as second homes we need to identify more buildings and sites in Keswick that could similarly be used to provide housing so that people are able to make a home in Keswick and live in the vicinity of their employment.”
Mr Bewley called on the town council to work with the KCHT and Cumberland Council to identify opportunities in Keswick, including disused buildings and open spaces, that may be used to add to the stock of affordable homes available for the people of Keswick. The town council voted unanimously to accept this resolution.
Cllr Allan Daniels said when he first joined KCHT the empty building on Otley Road was identified has having potential to be converted into flats and he had tried to get the owners to sell it.
“It’s an absolute tragedy that that building has been empty for so long when people have been looking for housing,” he said.
