Foy House social housing project named as finalist in council achievement awards

Foy House Photo TDC

Thanet council’s Foy House development has been selected as a finalist in the ‘Best Social Housing Initiative’ of the MJ Achievement Awards 2023. The industry awards recognise outstanding achievements by local authorities.

Foy House, in Margate High Street, provides eight self-contained 1 and 2 bedroom flats for individuals and families with urgent housing needs, who are being supported by the council.

Immediate needs can be for many reasons, such as fleeing domestic abuse, marital breakdown, losing a job or being unable to pay rent. The project provides a safe and supported home until new accommodation can be found.

The ambitious refurbishment project was completed in January 2023 and brought a large, long-term empty property back into use. The scheme, including building purchase and conversion,  came in at £1.6m.

The project was first approved in 2019. The property was formerly owned by Orbit Housing but was declared surplus to need in 2017.

Bob Porter, Acting Director of Place for Thanet District Council, said: “We’re extremely proud of Foy House. It is an ambitious project, but the hard work of everyone involved has paid off.

“We have increased the amount of quality council-owned accommodation that we can provide for the people in our community who need it most, and brought an empty building back into use. This makes a huge difference to the visual appeal of the area.

“I’d like to express our thanks to our partners Wilson & Partners LLP (Canterbury), GPM2 Design Ltd and Modus Construction Consultants Ltd. We couldn’t have achieved this without their hard work.

“I’m so pleased that our project has been recognised by our peers, awarding us a place in the finals of these awards.”

The winning submission will be announced on Friday 23 June at a ceremony to take place in London.