Planning permission granted for PRC redevelopments in Twerton
and Holcombe Green
24th February 2010
Somer Community Housing Trust’s project to
redevelop or refurbish all of its defective pre-cast reinforced
concrete (PRC) homes has taken another big step with the granting
of planning permission for sites at Twerton (Day Crescent and
Pennyquick View) and Holcombe Green in Bath.
The decision clears the way for 100 new homes to be built at the
two sites. Virtually all of the existing residents have already
moved out, with the last households moving in March 2010.
The decisions will be welcomed by nearby residents, as the
planning applications have taken a very long time to be determined
by Bath and North East Somerset Council (11 months for Twerton and
over a year for Holcombe Green) and the properties had become an
eyesore. Pennyquick View in Twerton had to be secured with
hoardings after vandalism became a problem.
At Holcombe Green, demolition is already underway. An
information event was held on 3rd February to keep residents up to
date with the plans and schedule for the 44 new homes. They will be
completed in stages, between this September and April 2011.
At Twerton, the Trust has now applied to Natural England for a
licence to relocate bats, a protected species, at the site. It’s
hoped demolition can then start in April. The 56 properties will be
completed between January and November 2011.
As well as achieving an increase in the number of affordable
homes to rent and buy in the area, the Trust is also giving a
substantial amount of money for public services through ‘planning
gain contributions’ to the local authority. Currently this figure
stands at £153,071 for the council to spend on services in the
Twerton area as follows:
- Education - £91,633
- Street lighting - £35,667
- Open spaces - £25,771
The overall project is to demolish and replace 191 defective
pre-cast reinforced concrete (PRC) homes across five areas in Bath
and Keynsham. The first homes were completed at Caernarvon Road in
Keynsham early in 2009. The second scheme is now underway at
Amberley Close and Lulworth Road, also in Keynsham.
The final area to be redeveloped will be Southlands in Weston,
Bath. A planning application was submitted to Bath and North East
Somerset Council on 20th November 2009 and although the target
decision date has now passed, the Trust is confident that they will
provide a decision shortly.
In Twerton and at Holcombe Green, the proposed mix of one and
two-bedroom flats and two and three-bedroom houses will include 89
homes to let to residents who moved out to allow the PRC
redevelopment project to go ahead, or through the council’s
choice-based lettings system, Homesearch.
The remaining 11 homes will be offered through ‘Rent to HomeBuy’
or ‘New Build HomeBuy’. Rent to HomeBuy is aimed at people who want
to buy an affordable home, but are finding it difficult to get or
afford a mortgage. They rent the property at a reduced rate for up
to five years and can then buy it on a shared ownership (part-buy,
part-rent) basis, through the government-backed HomeBuy scheme.
The schemes will once again be built in partnership with housing
regeneration specialist Lovell. They participate in the Considerate
Constructors Scheme and in Keynsham have involved the local
community and schools during the build.