Car park conversion to help accommodate homeless

Twelve apartments have been built on an underused car park at Shawe View in Urmston

A car park has been been transformed into a £1.4m housing estate for homeless people.

Twelve fully furnished one-bedroom homes have been built on Shawe View in the Urmston area of Trafford in Greater Manchester.

The cottage-style apartments were built by MSV Housing in partnership with Trafford Council, which wants the development to act as an affordable stepping stone for tenants seeking more permanent accommodation.

MSV said the work "marks a significant step forward" in supporting homeless people in the borough.

"It shows how working together and collaborating with our partners at the council can make a real difference," said MSV chief executive Charlie Norman.

"A warm, safe home is the springboard to a stable and healthy life, and I'm really pleased to hear that the residents are poised to move in.

"I wish them all the very best."

The housing was part-funded with a £741,000 grant from Homes England

Homes will be allocated through the Housing Options Service Trafford, the council's housing support team, and offered at low-cost social rent.

Typically, residents will live there for two years before finding alternative housing.

The development was part-funded with a £741,000 grant from Homes England, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The scheme was designed by BTP Architects, and includes brickwork similar to houses on the nearby Shawe View Terrace, as well as a green space and storage for bicycles.

"Transforming an under-used car park into homes shows how we can create homes and re-imagine how we use areas in a way that directly benefits local people and communities," said Elliot Denby, director of BTP Architects.

"More importantly, these homes provide an opportunity for people taking their next step towards stability and independent living."