Coastline Housing has unveiled a development of 33 new affordable homes for local people in St Ives, with the help of Cornwall Council Chief Executive Kevin Lavery.

The homes, which are a mixture of houses and bungalows ranging from two-bedrooms to four-bedrooms, have been developed at a total cost of £4.7million. The development was funded largely thanks to funding of over £1million from the Homes and Communities Agency, and £300K from Cornwall Council.

They were officially opened by Mr Lavery with a ribbon-cutting on site.

Robert Nettleton, Chief Executive of Coastline Housing, says: “The fact that St Ives is so hugely attractive to the tourist industry means that many local people have been forced to search for a home elsewhere. We hope these properties will make a real difference to local individuals, couples and families in need of a home of their own.

“This development would not have been made possible without the support of central Government, Cornwall Council and the local Town Council. This is a great example of how partnership working can deliver much needed new homes.”

The development, named Joannies Avenue and Joannies Watch, is based in the Consols area of St Ives and comprises a mix of rented housing and shared-ownership (part buy, part rent) properties, for people looking to get a foot on the housing ladder.

The word ‘Joannies’ may ring bells with many a St Ives person, and is a nod to the history and heritage of the town’s fishing industry. Laura Haynes, Head of Development at Coastline Housing, explains: “When local fishermen broke an oar, they would whittle down the remaining wood to carve a small wooden doll to give to their children when they got home. The dolls were called ‘Joannies’. A member of staff came across this story and thought it would make an excellent name for the development. Cornwall Council agreed, and liked the fact that the new scheme would take its name from something historic to St Ives.”

A number of commemorative Joannies will be made available for the new residents to look at during an official opening event thanks to Steve Martin, a member of St Ives Pilot Gig Club who has created a range of 45 ‘Jubilee Joannies’. Laura added: “We felt it would be nice for residents to see the item from which their new neighbourhood has taken its name!”

Designed by architects RAHA (Rogers and Haynes Architects), and constructed by Mi-Space, the scheme has achieved an EcoHomes rating of ‘very good’, meaning the homes feature energy efficiency measures such as highly efficient combi-boilers and radically improved levels of insulation, all of which means reduced future running costs for residents.