A major commitment to community regeneration in the Barton Hill area of Bristol, including a £25 million investment in new affordable housing, has passed another important milestone with the completion of the last housing scheme.
The Sovereign development in Avonvale Road was completed at the end of last year. It consists of 18 houses and three apartments for general needs and intermediate rent.
Built by the Leadbitter Group, the completion of this £4 million housing scheme marks the conclusion of construction work, although Sovereign's involvement with local residents will continue, including a big community celebration in May involving public artist Serena Korda.
“As with our earlier developments in Barton Hill, these homes have been built to a high specification and provide a high-quality living environment,” said Simon Parks, Sovereign’s Regional Head of Development.
“This has been a major construction undertaking for Sovereign and we have invested a great deal in this community. Since 2006, we have built some award-winning homes, which have been very well received by residents, and which will leave a really strong legacy in this area,” he said.
In 2000, Sovereign was selected as the lead housing association to deliver affordable homes in Barton Hill, in partnership with Solon South West Housing Association.
In total 151 new homes have been built across nine developments, as well as four shops, as part of the £25 million housing programme. The new homes were funded by the New Deal for Communities (NDC) programme, Bristol City Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and Sovereign.
As well as the homes in Barton Hill, the NDC programme also provided new homes in nearby Morton Street and Temple Quay, as well as the Lincoln Gardens very sheltered housing scheme.
“Barton Hill has been transformed. We have used the design of housing and public spaces to make the area feel more welcoming, so that local people feel safer walking around,” said Heather Bowman, Housing and Communities Director for Sovereign.
“What is really gratifying is that this has been achieved with meaningful input from local residents, who have influenced the design of the new housing and of the open spaces. This approach contributed to high satisfaction levels in government surveys conducted in New Deal for Communities areas.”
Sovereign’s involvement in Barton Hill has gone far beyond providing affordable new houses. It played an important role in securing a local lettings policy that ensured that local residents were given priority for the new homes. The retail units Sovereign constructed on behalf of the regeneration partnership now provide a long-term income stream to Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Management, the resident-led organisation that aims to make positive changes in the area.
The homes, which offer a variety of tenures, have all been designed to meet Secured by Design standards and given the provision of natural surveillance to create a safer community. Combined with security work carried out by Bristol City Council, three-quarters of residents think crime has fallen and the area feels safer.
Sovereign has also sought to improve employment opportunities among residents. A full-time Employment and Training Links Coordinator was recruited and has been successful in facilitating 12 apprenticeships and nine work opportunities for local people on the construction sites, including long-term unemployed. A number of these have been employed permanently by the contractor. A further 11 young people passed their Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card training.
Notes to Editors
- Sovereign Housing Association is a charitable body. It comprises Sovereign South+West, Sovereign Twynham, Sovereign Kingfisher and Sovereign Vale, which were merged into a single legal entity in October 2011. Sovereign Housing Association includes the non-charitable Sovereign Living Limited. Sovereign is one of the largest providers of affordable housing in the south and south-west of England. It owns or manages more than 33,000 properties, offering a variety of tenures.
- If you would like more information, please contact Roy Probert, Public Relations Manager for Sovereign, on 01635 277406 or 07827 356479, or email roy.probert@sovereign.org.uk
