Clare Budden gives an update on progress in Flintshire’s housing and regeneration plans, including the first new council homes in a generation.
Since launching in June 2012, Flintshire County Council has been making great strides in its Strategic Housing and Regeneration Programme (SHARP), an ambitious regeneration scheme that will see the creation of 500 new council and affordable homes across the county over the next five years.
Forming part of the council’s Flint Master Plan, the investment has so far seen building work commence at two significant regeneration sites in Flint town centre: the former Leas and Walks council maisonettes, which will make way for 214 brand new homes; and a new extra care scheme and medical centre.
The progress made comes just one year after the appointment of the council’s strategic housing partner, Wates Living Space Homes, which has worked with the council to ensure its investment brings high quality, comfortable, secure and energy efficient homes to the county.
Key to the Flint Master Plan has been ongoing engagement with local residents, local businesses and community stakeholders, following which the decision was made in December 2011 to demolish the Flint maisonettes.
Leader of Flintshire County Council, Councillor Aaron Shotton, said:
‘This exciting development will see new homes being built on the former maisonettes site and this will give the residents of Flint much more housing choice. The council is committed to ensuring all our residents have decent and appropriate accommodation and living standards. That’s why we are investing in building new council house stock for the first time in a generation.’
The condition of the precast concrete structure of the maisonettes had deteriorated markedly and had become a blight on the town. Their poor condition also incurred significant and ongoing maintenance costs for the council’s housing management service so this investment has been much needed.
‘Whilst the maisonettes were capable of being improved to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS), the design was dated with limited defensible space, shared upper walkways, and no provision for vehicle parking adjacent to or near to homes.
‘In addition to their poor condition, low thermal values made them expensive for low-income households to heat. The maisonettes had also become unpopular with potential tenants and growing issues of anti-social behavior across the scheme had become increasingly prevalent so these new homes have been widely welcomed locally.’
To accommodate construction of the new homes, all tenants were re-housed and the demolition programme undertaken by the council was completed some three and a half years later.
An investment to benefit the community and economy
Unanimously accepted as a once in a generation opportunity to regenerate Flint town centre, the redevelopment of the Walks and the ongoing investment in new homes across the county are also set to create a host of socio-economic benefits for Flintshire.
An integral element of SHARP is to support the achievement of the strategic objectives of the council’s regeneration strategy: ‘a competitive Flintshire; sustainable communities and the creation of employment and skills’.
Joanne Jamieson, managing director of Wates Living Space Homes, commented:
‘Flintshire Council’s Strategic Housing and Regeneration Programme is the first of its kind in Wales. By pioneering such ambitious housing investment plans, the council is providing a leading example of how housing shortages can be surmounted.
‘In addition to high quality homes that improve the quality of life for Flintshire tenants, we bring to this programme a deep commitment to creating lasting local benefit and as such, Wates Living Space Homes and Flintshire Council have made a joint commitment to create opportunities for local training and employment.’
It is estimated that over 2,000 people will be employed throughout the SHARP programme. This includes a number of training and apprenticeship opportunities for local people during the next five years.
A ‘Flintshire Future Works’ training academy has also been created to ensure that sustainable and meaningful apprenticeship opportunities are created to not only work on the SHARP, but also other major council construction programmes, including the 21st Century Schools Programme and future housing projects in the county. Through this partnership approach it is envisaged that an estimated 14 apprenticeships will be created to work on The Walks and other SHARP housing schemes.
Efforts to engage local suppliers in the work have also included a series of Meet the Buyer events for local subcontractors, with an estimated £40 million worth of sub-contracting work packages set to go to local small and medium enterprises.
Designing efficient and secure homes for the future
The redevelopment of Flint will bring a significantly improved housing offer to the town, utilising traditional construction methodology, which will provide thermally efficient, well planned and secure properties for current and future residents.
Councillor Ian Roberts, Chairman of the Flint Master Plan working group, said:
‘In preparing the overall design, the primary consideration has been to address the proximity of the Flint Conservation Area and reinforcing the linkages between Flint Castle and the town centre.
‘The proposed new road pattern and estate layout reflects the historic urban grid and suggests a recreation of John Speed’s original town map and town perimeter. The proposed design and layout of the scheme has been informed by community consultation events and also by the panel of the Design Commission for Wales (DCW). This has enabled the proposals to be considered by an independent, expert multi-disciplinary team, which has supported the aspiration to develop a sustainable and high quality scheme.’
The overall development at the Walks will provide a total of 92 homes, of which 30 will be council housing and 62 affordable housing. The 30 council properties will be managed within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), whilst the 62 affordable properties will be managed by NEW Homes, the council-owned local housing company which began trading in April 2014 to improve the housing opportunities for the ‘squeezed middle’.
All properties are set to be built to the Flintshire House Standard, which sets out key design principles and forms a tenure neutral benchmark. This includes good quality of internal layout, and fixtures and fittings, high standards of energy efficiency and external appearance in-keeping with local circumstance. Low maintenance product specifications, adequate parking and a public realm have also been designed to promote cohesive and inclusive communities.
The handover of the properties at the Walks will be phased over an 18-month build period, with a projected completion in March 2018.
Clare Budden is chief officer community and enterprise at Flintshire County Council