A NEW housing development on one of Tavistock?s most prominent sites was last week officially declared open by mayor of West Devon Jayne Hill. Godolphin House, a development of 22 one and two bedroom flats on the old Abbey Garage site, has been built by A H Gadd Ltd for West Devon Homes at a cost of £2-million. The flats will provide affordable homes which will be rented by around 50 local people. Cllr Hill said the new homes were a ?testament of how partnership should work?. She said: ?I would like to thank West Devon Borough Council for its wisdom in deciding this site should be developed for housing ? it?s really great it?s for local folk.? Cllr Hill said she was impressed with the internal design and layout ? and the fabulous views some of the residents will have. ?They are incredibly lucky to be living in the heart of Tavistock ? on the doorstep they have the medical centre, the library, the park, swimming pool, shops, hairdressers and the market, all within a few minutes? walk. ?On behalf of the council, I wish all the residents happiness in their new homes ? I really hope they enjoy living here.? Simon Howes, chairman of West Devon Homes, said the company was proud of its superb record for providing new homes and of the positive partnerships it had built up, particularly with West Devon Borough Council. He said: ?We have been able to transform a very unimpressive brownfield site into this impressive building. ?It has been called the most significant building in Tavistock since the town hall and I would like to extend my thanks to everybody who has worked on it.? Jean Peters, chief executive of West Devon Homes, said the residents were ?thrilled to bits? with their new homes: ?We have single people, couples and people of retirement age here. It?s a mixed community, which we felt was really important in letting the 22 flats. ?West Devon Borough Council obviously nominated the potential residents, and we have worked very closely with them to identify the people with greatest priority within that group.? Ms Peters said the Goldolphin House scheme had been a ?very big, complex project?. ?It?s been a lot of work for the architects and surveyors to work it out, there have been problems, but we are very pleased with it.? New tenant Tracey Ware said: ?We are thrilled to have such a smart home we can be proud of. It is a wonderful new start for my family.? Godolphin House comprises 17 one bedroom flats and 5 two bedroom dwellings on four floors and was built by Taunton-based construction company A H Gadd. The main consultants on the project, which was started in autumn 2003, were architect Steen Mitchell, quantity surveyor Ward Williams and BSW Consulting Engineers. The project received grant funding from West Devon Borough Council and the Housing Corporation, with the balance raised by West Devon Homes through private borrowing.
