THE VALUE OF SOCIAL HOUSING
Expert View by Tom Hargreaves
Director AG Project and Building Consultancy
The saying ‘there’s no place like home’ is undoubtedly very powerful and rings true for all of us.
If it weren’t for the many social housing organisations across the country, many people wouldn’t be able to have a home and be part of a community.
Affordable or social housing is not a handout. It is a necessity, and if you look at the UN’s sustainable development goals, approximately three-quarters of them are directly or indirectly related to social housing in some shape or form.
It’s actually more than housing. It’s about creating lasting communities and providing a better quality of life for its residents, which then has a positive ripple effect on job creation, financial stability, security and population diversity – even more so when aligned to well-designed development or regeneration plans.
Two of the many projects we are involved in demonstrate this. A £2.2m project in Preston by Community Gateway Association called the Spires helps prevent homelessness and offers its residents essential life skills and assists them in securing work.
At the other end of the spectrum, we’re involved in Lancaster’s multi- million-pound redevelopment of the Mainway Estate, which will see significant improvements to social housing.
The plan will breathe new life into the area - not just by creating high-quality homes but also by revitalising the area, which will be the catalyst to develop a strong sense of place. So as you can see, social housing performs a vital function in bringing investment to areas in creating quality housing which then contributes to increasing the living standards for many.
Social housing also provides a vital function in giving homes to key workers in cities where properties can sometimes be out of their financial reach, but If we’re going to create a sense of community and place, as well as a healthy social-economic mix, there needs to be more varied and flexible accommodation on offer.
Helping weave a full mix of tenure development back into the towns and cities and deliver homes is fundamental to the long-term future of cities and communities. This is where the good of social housing comes into force, helping to create that place we call home.
LOOKING FOR A HOME WIN
Blackburn is building homes. Work is underway on a huge new development that is one of the biggest ever housing regeneration projects in the town’s history.
The Fishmoor development, made up of mostly brownfield sites, will see more than 370 homes built, as well as significant investment in the local area.
And it is just part of a wider picture in the borough. While the Fishmoor planning application was the largest the council had ever received at that time, it was quickly superseded by a detailed submission for 450 homes off Brokenstone Road and a hybrid application for the final 435 homes within the Gib Lane Masterplan area.
Kingswood Homes secured detailed planning permission for the final phases of the award-winning Green Hills development in Feniscowles late last year – part of the masterplan.
The Gib Lane plan is set to deliver more than 800 new homes in that area – including Wainhomes and Story Homes developments.
Our new Local Plan is ambitious - setting out proposals that will help create 5,000 new jobs in the borough
Kingswood is based in Little Hoole. It collaborated with highly acclaimed design team Gerardine and Wayne Hemingway in establishing the Green Hills development.
It has also submitted plans to transform a former mill site in Hoddlesden. The land once housed Vernon Carus Mill – a textile mill that made medical fabrics for bandages until 2003. Kingswood has submitted a reserved matters planning application to build 79 homes there.
Meanwhile, work is continuing to finalise the borough’s Local Plan, which outlines proposals for 7,000 new homes, including the North East
Left to right: Coun Jim Shorrock, Coun Phil Riley and Coun Tony Humphrys of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, with Mark Dunford of Together Housing Group at the Brookfield Vale development
Blackburn Strategic Housing Site – a new 1,500-home neighbourhood on the edge of the town.
Councillor Phil Riley, the council’s executive member for growth and development, says: “Our new Local Plan is ambitious – setting out proposals that will help create 5,000 new jobs in the borough and paving the way for quality housing and infrastructure for residents and businesses over the next 15 years.
“We’ve a strong track record too – the latest Housing Delivery Test put us in the top 25 of local authorities nationally, delivering a 300 per cent increase on the target set by government.
“This is important because we know that developing a strong housing offer is crucial to shaping strong communities and a strong economic future for our towns.
“With the £250m Blackburn Town Centre Masterplan and the £90m we’ll see as part of the Darwen Investment Plan, we’re on the cusp of a really exciting time for the borough.
“We’re talking about investment in Blackburn with Darwen at a level never seen before in our lifetimes which is incredible.”
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PROPERTY
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