Sovereign Housing Association has been working hard with Torbay Council over the last 12 months to make sure that the public and local residents are involved every step of the way with the new Beechfield development. This will be located close to The Willows, near to Barton Primary School, and will include 112 new flats and 32 houses.
After a successful first public consultation in July 2008, there will now be a second one on Tuesday 23rd June where people will be told the latest news on Beechfield. The first consultation event helped to influence the designs and the ongoing role of the Community Focus Group. The Focus Group has also allowed the local community to have their say regarding the development design and the opportunity to raise concerns relating to local issues.
A key aim of Beechfield is that it will be an eco-friendly development which will also reduce running costs for residents. As part of this, the homes will be highly insulated and feature PV panels on the roofs to provide electricity, solar panels to heat hot water, and air-source heat pumps for heating.
These homes are also set to score highly on the Code for Sustainable Homes (Level 5 on affordable houses, 4 on affordable flats, 3 on open market housing). Beechfield will therefore set the standard by being the first development of such scale to achieve this in the south west.
The Beechfield development will also provide a large number of affordable homes to meet the needs of local people including families, disabled residents, key workers and the elderly.
There are also plans to introduce a local lettings policy in Beechfield. This tends to encourage residents to stay longer and get more actively involved in the community in which they live. Sovereign believes that this will create a neighbourhood where people also feel safe and comfortable and where people have a strong sense of community.
Adrian Porter, Neighbourhood Officer for Sovereign Housing Association in partnership with Torbay Council, commented, “This second public consultation is a key part of the process in letting people be involved in Beechfield and listening to their views. We aim to keep people informed every step of the way and make sure they have the chance to have their say.”
Neil Bent, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Housing for Torbay Council, said,
“It is good to be associated with Sovereign Housing Association in this flagship scheme which will go some way towards delivering much needed affordable homes in Torbay.”
The date of the next event will be 23 June from 2.30-7.00pm at Barton Primary School, Barton Hill Road. A full display of designs will be displayed for members of the public and members of the project team will also be on hand to hear and discuss people’s thoughts regarding the development.
