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The contribution by Councillor Bernard Rees to the life of St Just and the wider community of Cornwall was praised by Andrew George MP at the opening of six new homes named after him. It is a £600,000 development.
Rees Court, comprising four 3-bed and two 2-bed houses at Lafrowda Close, St just are the first new houses to be built in the town by the Penwith Housing Association (PHA) of which Mr Rees was a founder member and former chairman for four years.
Current deputy Mayor, Mr Rees, cut the tape and formally opened the attractive development in a ceremony with Mr George; Association chair, Gail Hunt and residents. There was a welcome and introduction by Mrs Hunt.
Born in Swansea, Mr Rees, 83, who came to Cornwall in 1972, is no "honorary Cornishman", for his maternal grandparents were both from the St Just area. And an ancestor - "four greats to an uncle" was none other than Sir Humphry Davy.
As well as being Mayor of St Just on three occasions, he has been chairman of the Citizens Advice Bureau at Penzance and is currently chairman of the St Just and District Trust, chairman of the Cornish Association of Local Councils (parish and town) and chairman of Age Concern, Cornwall.
Mr Rees, delighted at the honour of having the homes named after him, said he considered it "a lovely and unexpected tribute. I do things in public life for what I can put into it - and this is the first time the contribution has been recognised in this way"
Gail Hunt, PHA's Chair felt that the housing scheme was a fitting tribute to Bernard Rees' work for both PHA and the St Just area. "He has done so much and continues to work for the community".
They have been built on a PHA site formerly occupied by concrete garages that had come to the end of their useful life. Working in conjunction with the Devon and Cornwall Housing Association, the homes were constructed by J. J. Jones of St Austell, who have completed a number of developments for the Association in the recent past.
"These new homes help meet the housing needs at St Just and compliment the enhancement of Lafrowda Close by recent improvement works" said Chief Executive, Andy Moore. "The homes have been supported by grant from the Housing Corporation and Penwith District Council, including a contribution from the proceeds of the second homes council tax. In addition, the PHA used the proceeds from the sale of a building plot elsewhere in St Just. By that sale we were able to do this.The Association is grateful for the support from St Just Town Council in progressing this project. This new housing investment has been timed to compliment the investment in regeneration in the area which has recently been completed by the St Just Heritage Project".
The homes have been let to nominees from Penwith District Council's Homeseekers Register added Mr Moore
