PRC Homes

Somer Community Housing Trust owns over 435 Pre-cast Reinforced Concrete (PRC) houses and flats in Bath and Keynsham.

PRC homes were built in large numbers in the post-war years and the Trust owns a number of different types in a variety of locations. As a result of structural problems either in the concrete used in their construction, or due to the corrosion of the steel reinforcement within the concrete, the properties have been technically classed as defective.

While no immediate structural problems are apparent, the properties have a limited life in their current form. The options available to deal with these problems are to either refurbish the properties or to demolish them and redevelop the area with brand new homes.

In October 2006, the Board made the decision to demolish 191 PRC homes replacing them with brand new homes built to the highest design standards.  In summary, the proposals for the six areas are as follows:

  • Caernarvon Road, Keynsham – redevelopment
  • Amberley Close / Lulworth Road, Keynsham – redevelopment
  • Other PRC properties in Keynsham – refurbishment
  • Pennyquick View, Hinton Close, Twerton – redevelopment
  • Southlands, Weston – redevelopment
  • Holcombe Green, Weston – redevelopment

The Trust selected affordable housing and neighbourhood regeneration specialist Lovell as its preferred partner to build all of the new homes.

Lovell logo

Lovell, which has offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leatherhead, Leeds, London, Manchester, Merseyside, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Stockton-on-Tees and Tamworth, is Britain’s leading provider of affordable housing. Lovell is part of top five UK construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall plc which operates through five specialist divisions of fit out, construction, infrastructure services, affordable housing and urban regeneration.

Lovell website.

 

To date the project has achieved the following milestones:

  • Planning permission secured for all development sites, 275 homes to be built in total including 57 for immediate housing.
  • Funding secured from the Homes & Communities Agency to built all the homes as affordable housing.
  • 40 new homes built at Caernarvon Road and handed over in summer 2009.
  • Introduction of innovative Rent to Homebuy scheme at Caernarvon Road.
  • Work started on site on the remaining 4 sites.
  • The first new properties at Amberley Close/Lulworth Road completed and handed over.
  • 21 PRC homes refurbished in Keynsham.
  • 60 PRC homes refurbished in Bath.
  • 6 local apprentices working on site.
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