Summary
Mansfield District Council has started building 43 new family-sized dwellings at the Bellamy Road estate. The development is part of the Local Authority New Build programme which is funding councils to build much-needed social housing.
Key learnings for other councils
- Housing development can act as a catalyst for the regeneration of whole areas.
- Working in partnership reduces costs and brings in added expertise.
- Engage with residents to find solutions for improving estates: appointing a master-planner may well be useful.
- Homes built to high design standards contribute to reduced carbon emissions.
Who was involved?
- Mansfield District Council
- Homes and Communities Agency (HCA)
- Nottingham Community Housing Association-Longhurst Group partnership.
Background to the project
The council pre-qualified as an investment partner with the HCA in September 2009, together with the Nottingham Community Housing Association-Longhurst Group partnership. This is a Partnership Opportunity Development Limited Liability Partnership (POD). The POD is acting as the council's development agent.
The 43 new family homes are part of the first round of the HCA programme. The council will build an additional ‘general needs' bungalow as part of the second round in another part of Mansfield. The scheme costs around £4 million and is funded half by the council and the other half from the HCA. The council had not built new homes for about 30 years.
The problems and how we tackled them
Bellamy Road is an old estate developed in the 1970s using the Radburn layout. Social and environmental problems associated with such a layout have developed over the years. These derive from issues such as:
- lack of distinction between public and private space
- very little defensible space
- confusing house layouts
- remote car parking spaces, and so on.
The area had a high level of deprivation and had become unpopular and a magnet for vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
The new properties in the Bellamy Road estate will be built on Colston, Shelston and Syerston areas where blocks of one-bedroom flats were demolished last year. The council believes this development will act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the whole estate.
The council has appointed a master-planner to look at the whole estate and engage with residents to identify solutions for improving the estate.
The ongoing regeneration will transform the Bellamy Road estate and provide numerous benefits:
- Social - creating a community hub and public space will encourage residents to interact with each other and new facilities
- Economic - by bringing in new investment to the area and providing access to new employment and training opportunities
- Demographic - by changing the housing market appeal and attracting new residents
- Environmental - by ensuring homes are built to high design standards and contribute to reduced carbon emissions
- Physical - by changing the shape and appearance of the estate and improving access to, from and within the estate.
The new homes will be all general needs and the size mix is:
- 21 three-bedroom five person
- 13 three-bedroom four person
- five four-bedroom six person
- four, four-bedroom seven person homes.
All the properties will achieve level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, and are designed to meet the majority of Lifetime Homes principles. They will also meet the Secured by Design standards to ensure that crime prevention methods are incorporated into the design of the new houses.
Twenty-four of the new homes will have ground source heating with passive solar hot water panels and the remaining ones will have photovoltaic (PV) panels.
In addition, the new homes have been designed to an ‘Arts and Crafts' style, which relates to Mansfield. While this will not be highly stylised, it will be hinted at with exposed rafter ends, bay windows with slate roofs, porches with thickset timber detailing, stained black and stone heads, sills and string courses.
Outcomes and impact
Construction has now started with the council having selected William Davis Ltd as developer. This is a local East Midlands company committed to offering opportunities to local people. These includes training and employment but also involvement in supply chains.
The developer is working with the council to support several new training positions and will also recruit a full-time permanent general labourer. The company also plans to work with the local school on the estate and the local stakeholders group. It will sponsor arts projects, health and safety sessions with children and possibly gardening and landscaping projects and a street art project.
Construction is due to be completed in March 2011.
Next steps
As part of the second round of bidding to the Local Authority New Build programme, Mansfield District Council was successful in securing funding for one property. This will be built in a different part of Mansfield and will be a two-bed general needs dormer bungalow. This will also meet Code Level 4 and will incorporate air source heating.
The council has appointed Herbert Baggaley Construction Ltd, a local Mansfield company, and work is expected to complete by Christmas 2010.
Contact
Rob Purser, Strategic Housing Manager
Mansfield District Council
Email: [email protected]
Published in August 2010.