Lovell to build £7.8 million scheme for Somer Community Housing Trust

Lovell will demolish 50 existing homes and build 74 houses and flats in their place. The redevelopment forms part of the Trust’s large-scale housing regeneration programme for its 1950s-built pre-cast reinforced concrete (PRC) properties – technically classed as defective – in Bath and Keynsham.

Demolition work at Southlands is set to start in October with the first new homes due to be handed over in early summer 2011. The new housing will create 58 homes for affordable rent. In addition, 16 homes will be for sale through the New Build HomeBuy scheme which enables eligible first-time buyers to purchase a share of a property and pay rent on the rest.

The new homes will achieve Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, the system for measuring the environmental performance of new housing. As part of the commitment by Lovell and Somer Community Housing Trust to provide jobs and training opportunities locally, the new development will also see the creation of two construction apprenticeships.

Angela Gascoigne, managing director of Somer Community Housing Trust, says:

“This is the final phase of the PRC project. The partnership with Lovell has been a fruitful one and we are looking forward to taking possession of some of the most eco-friendly homes being built today. Our tenants will have affordable warmth and great design. The project has made a significant contribution to the local economy and the community contribution in terms of wildlife protection, working with schools and apprenticeship opportunities has made this a project with added value.”

“Southlands is the largest and most challenging of the redevelopment schemes in the Trust’s PRC programme,” says Lovell regional director Nick Kurobasa. “A great deal of preparatory work has already been done and, with the very effective working partnership we have developed with Somer, we are confident that we can successfully deliver these high-quality, energy-efficient homes for residents.”

As part of the PRC redevelopment programme, Lovell is currently also building 44 new homes at Holcombe Green, Weston, Bath, and 56 new homes in Twerton.

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