‘Your Waverley has had some good news stories to report on the number of affordable homes either built and occupied or now under construction in the borough.
Despite the Coronacoaster, the council has been on during the pandemic, the borough’s housing team has kept calm and carried on.
Housing officer Annalisa Howson told the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee (O&S) that her team had worked swiftly, and adapted to a rapidly changing COVID-world. She reeled off a whole string of initiatives to help the ‘family of council tenants.’ Waverley’s older people had been contacted, community meals delivered, Helplines set up and minimal complaints dealt with immediately.
“Someone even contacted me to see if I was alright and I’m a councillor, which made me very proud of our organisation” said Jacqui Keen.
Ms Howson, said despite some delays in building work – 150 new affordable homes had been 
completed in the last year. In Dunsfold’s Gratton Close 17 homes at an affordable rent, social rent and shared ownership (SO) had been handed over saying…
“Something that in the future we want to do more of.”
She reeled off a string of sites where homes were either built and occupied or under construction including:
- A mixed site of 27 homes S/O and rent in Badshot Lea, Farnham
- 48 in Crondall Lane at Abbey View.
- 28 new social homes at Little Acres, Badshot Lead
- 27 social homes at Little Meadow, Cranleigh
- Several conversions of Waverley owned community rooms in accommodation in Griggs Meadow Dunsfold, Woodyers Close Wonersh and Stonepit in Godalming.
- On track for 135 mixed-use homes at Springfield, Dunsfold, some with some subsidised low rents for local people.
- At Amlets Way, a Cala Homes site in Cranleigh there were five new homes, 3 S/O.
- consents had been granted for 4 sites in Chiddingfold; a site in Churt and a site in Witley.
- She said families had now moved into Site A – 37 new homes for existing tenants (pictured below) at Ockford Ridge. Part of a large regeneration site in Godalming
However, there are now 1,000 on Waverley’s waiting list for new homes. The council is now investigating ways of providing modular units to house the homeless.
The start on homes at the Aarons Hill site in Godalming was delayed due to a footpath diversion order.
Cllr Richard Cole (Lib Dem) Cranleigh was first in a long line of councillors to heartily congratulate the Waverley housing team who he said –
“did not bat an eye-lid in the middle of the COVID pandemic – just carried on.”