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Mother of 11 given 'bespoke mansion' Mother of 11 given 'bespoke mansion'
(35 minutes later)
A council has defended plans to provide a specially adapted six-bedroom home to a resident with eleven children following allegations it was guilty of a "scandalous" use of public money and was effectively building a "bespoke mansion". A council has defended plans to provide a specially adapted six-bedroom home to a resident with 11 children following allegations it was guilty of a "scandalous" use of public money and was effectively building a "bespoke mansion".
Tewkesbury Council has allocated the home to Heather Frost, 36, after she spent two years on a housing waiting list while she lived with her family in two neighbouring houses. The six-bedroom home is under construction by Severn Vale Housing Association and is effectively two semi-detached homes knocked together as part of a larger development on the site of some former garages sold by the council. Tewkesbury council in Gloucestershire has allocated the home to Heather Frost, 36, after she spent two years on a housing waiting list while she lived with her family in two neighbouring houses. The six-bedroom home is under construction by Severn Vale Housing Association and is effectively two semi-detached homes knocked together as part of a larger development on the site of some former garages sold by the council.
The council told the housing association to build the home for Frost as part of the development and the decision to allocate it to her family drew complaints from the Taxpayers Alliance pressure group that it was a waste of money. The council told the housing association to build the home for Frost as part of the development and the decision to allocate it to her family drew omplaints from the TaxPayers' Alliance pressure group that it was a waste of money.
A spokeswoman for the housing association said the Frost family's new home could be divided into two again and there were no bespoke features beyond it being knocked together.A spokeswoman for the housing association said the Frost family's new home could be divided into two again and there were no bespoke features beyond it being knocked together.
"It is bending the truth to say it is a mansion," she said. "We have simply adapted it to need. It is exactly the same specification as the rest of the development.""It is bending the truth to say it is a mansion," she said. "We have simply adapted it to need. It is exactly the same specification as the rest of the development."
"This is an excellent example of the council working in partnership with registered providers, using public land to develop more affordable housing in line with Government policy," said Derek Davies, lead member for built environment at Tewkesbury Borough Council. "This is an excellent example of the council working in partnership with registered providers, using public land to develop more affordable housing in line with government policy," said Derek Davies, lead member for built environment at Tewkesbury borough council.
"We were able to sell land owned by the borough council to Severn Vale for them to develop 13 affordable homes, including this unit to meet the particular needs of Ms Frost and her family. This is a human problem and we have to deal with it in a humane way.""We were able to sell land owned by the borough council to Severn Vale for them to develop 13 affordable homes, including this unit to meet the particular needs of Ms Frost and her family. This is a human problem and we have to deal with it in a humane way."