RESIDENTS of an award-winning development of affordable homes at Northleach came out to help the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)’s Gloucestershire branch launch its 2016 Awards programme.

CPRE Awards celebrate outstanding projects benefitting people and the environment.

Awards are made to recognise projects across the whole of Gloucestershire, including the Forest of Dean, that contribute to communities and the environment and enhance the social life of the countryside.

Sly’s Close, Northleach, was one of six outstanding projects receiving a CPRE Award last year.

This £1 million development of affordable homes in Northleach was made possible through the generosity of the Sly Charitable Trust.

JW Sly was a well-known Northleach company.

Sisters Joyce and Enid Sly formed the family trust after they saw that Northleach was becoming increasingly expensive to live in and they wanted to help local people stay in the town.

Through the efforts of the Trust, six high quality sustainable homes in two terraces have been built on the site of JW Sly’s former works yard close to the centre of historic Northleach and are now lived in by local people.

Designed by architect Mungo Park, great care has been taken with the design of the homes and with the external space between the two terraces.

Kath Mooney moved in last March.

Simon Hall moved in two months later.

Jo Mustoe and her family, including six year old Amelia and four year old Esmae, moved in around the same time.

They all joined Enid Sly, Chris Hancock and David Louison of the Sly Family Trust to help CPRE Gloucestershire launch the 2016 Awards.

CPRE Gloucestershire Vice Chair, Richard Lloyd said: “Sly’s Close has brought new life to the medieval fabric of Northleach. The homes are exceptionally well designed and there is now public space linking West End to Back Lane. It is an exemplar for small scale residential design and demonstrates that affordable housing does not have to be low quality.”

Any building project is eligible for a CPRE Gloucestershire Award whether a new build, restoration or conversion.

Other projects such as the innovative use of natural resources and habitat management are also eligible, and especially projects devised by and benefitting local communities.

There is no cost to enter, but as the Awards are about encouraging others projects must be visible from public places.

The other Awards presented in 2015 were for Coln Valley Village Hall, Horsbere Brook Flood Storage Area near Gloucester, the Royal Agricultural University’s Rural Innovation Centre at Harnhill, the gas pressure reduction installation at Tirley north of Gloucester, and Whitecroft Railway Station on the Dean Forest Railway near Lydney.

For more details, and to nominate a project, visit cpreglos.org Awards will be made to successful nominations at a presentation event in October.

CPRE is a campaigning organisation, a charity promoting the beauty, tranquility and diversity of rural England.

Unlike many environmental charities, CPRE has no vested interests; owns no land and relies solely on donations and grants.

It is politically independent and welcomes new members.