Tenants began to move in to a development of four houses and ten flats on the site of a burnt out pub in Harrow Weald yesterday.
Origin Housing bought the land of the former Boxtree pub at the corner of Boxtree Lane and Hutton Lane after the derelict building, which had been empty for two-and-a-half years, was targeted by arsonists and badly damaged in July 2009.
The pub was demolished and turned into an environmentally-friendly affordable housing development, which was formally opened by the Mayor of Harrow Nizam Ismail yesterday afternoon.
The curved frontage of the building is unique in offering private terraces for residents and it boasts a six-bedroom house for housing association tenants.
The firm’s chief executive, Karen Wilson, told the Harrow Times: “I think it’s a great regeneration of the area and a really modern building.
“As a resident of Harrow myself, I’m really pleased with what we’ve achieved here – I’m hoping it will be a really strong community and we’ve had some positive feedback from people so far.”
The central courtyard of the development includes a vegetable patch for tenants and seating in an attempt to create a community atmosphere.
Police ordered the problem Boxtree pub to shut in January 2007 after finding faults in the CCTV cameras, and bosses at the time vowed to invest money and reopen.
But the refurbishment never materialised and the pub stood boarded up and being used by teenagers as a playground until Origin Housing bought the land.
Cllr Ismail said he was pleased with the new apartment block because “it is good for Harrow to have more affordable housing”.
He added: “I have spoken to some of the residents and they seem quite happy – I think the borough needs more housing like this.”
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