Affordable homes on track
Teamwork and extensive community consultation lies behind the first phase of a major regeneration project in Wrexham
Wrexham County Borough Council established the affordable housing project in 2009 to enable development of a number of sites in its ownership together with sites owned by the welsh government in order to deliver significant additional affordable homes. The project has a target of delivering around 376 new affordable homes.
Phase 1 is being developed in partnership with Wales & West Housing supported by Welsh Government social housing grant and is providing new affordable homes on two sites at Kingsmills Road and Rivulet Road close to Wrexham town centre. The focus of the project is to meet local housing need, deliver a high quality design and ensure most cost effective use of social housing grant.
This £17 million scheme is being built by Anwyl Construction and will deliver two ‘landmark’ affordable housing developments in key town centre locations, support the community to return to the Kingsmills site and provide significant regeneration and inward investment into the county borough. The two developments will provide a mix of social and intermediate rented properties including older person’s apartments and bungalows, supported and general needs housing and apartments. In addition, the Kingsmills site will include a new community and medical resource facility to help meet the needs of the wider community.
The council and Wales & West Housing have been working in partnership with key stakeholders and partners including Hightown Communities First, Caia Park Intermediate Labour Market, Job Centre Plus, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the Welsh Government to enable the re-development of the sites.
The developments aim to provide a major boost to the regeneration of Wrexham town centre by:
• Building 147 attractive new affordable homes
• Regenerating a site formerly occupied by deck access flats with structural problems
• Bringing back into use a derelict brownfield second site,
• Building a fit-for-purpose community and medical resource
• Delivering significant work and training
opportunities for the local community
• Supporting local supply chains and the wider local economy
• Creating attractive open space and recreational areas for all the community.
Agreed in the summer of 2011, within just eight months Wales & West Housing and Wrexham CBC pulled together a wide range of additional partners, having taken the original plan to build on one site in the town, and transformed it into a major regeneration strategy designed to benefit as many people as possible. Work started on site in May 2012 and is due to be completed spring 2014.
Community engagement has been fundamental to the success of this project including:
• A community consultation event held in Autumn 2012 at Hightown Community Centre, which is at the heart of this redevelopment. More than 100 local people of all ages gave their views on what they want from this redevelopment. Feedback was collated and comments and suggestions woven into the emergent plans.
• A communications group facilitated by Communities First includes representatives from local residents’ groups, the Community Council and local members to inform and involve the local community.
• A dedicated blog site has been set up by WWH to continue to facilitate community engagement. Anyone can log on to www.hightownflats.com to find out the latest news about the project, share their ideas or concerns and learn about initiatives connected with the project.
Community interest – and engagement – is high because the Kingsmills Road site was formerly the location of deck access flats owned by Wrexham Council. The flats, built in 1970, suffered from significant structural problems and were demolished in July 2011. Residents of the demolished flats have been given the option to return to either of the re-developed sites.
It is a testament to the extent and quality of the community consultation undertaken and proactive partnership working that the plans to re-develop the site so quickly following demolition have been met with support from the local community.
Wrexham Council appointed Wales & West Housing as partner to undertake the redevelopment. As a result of the partnership Wales & West was also able to include the nearby Rivulet Road site within the scheme enabling the limited social housing grant available to stretch further through economies of scale.
A commitment to delivering substantial work and training opportunities for local people has been and is a key part of this development which has supported 19 apprenticeships across both sites, either directly through contractor Anwyl Construction, or through sub contractors.
The development has won recognition and praise from CITB and senior political figures in Wales including AM Aled Roberts for its provision of work and training opporunities for the local community. Thanks to the commitment to using local labor and supply chains wherever possible, this development has been worth an estimated £50 million to the local economy.
As stakeholders in the wider project the Welsh Government also maintains a keen interest in the development with Huw Lewis, the then minister for housing, regeneration and heritage, undertaking the official start on site ceremony in May 2012 and Jane Hutt Minister of Finance visiting the site in February this year.
The development demonstrates that regeneration can be achieved through collaborative working despite the current uncertain economic climate and act as a catalyst for further development in Wrexham town centre.
High levels of community involvement and close partnership working have ensured that the project continues to move forward towards a successful conclusion.
The regeneration is enhancing the Wrexham townscape and creating sustainable town centre communities. The project is a great example of how an ambitious council can work in partnership with a forward thinking housing association and others to deliver a spectrum of affordable housing with community facilities and be a catalyst for local regeneration.
Phase 2 of Rivulet Road is currently being negotiated (with another RSL) which will deliver another 50 units of social housing.