Residents have grand designs for neighbourhoods
01.12.2006
Residents have been put in the hotseat to help design the best possible affordable homes for one of the south’s largest social housing programmes.
Around 20 tenants have formed a resident design panel, as part of the Sovereign Development Consortium’s (SDC) drive to generate new ideas in how different designs, materials and building methods can improve the quality of life in neighbourhoods.
The initiative involves residents from Westlea, The Vale, Solon Southwest, Sovereign and Cottsway housing associations, who teamed up in Swindon last month at the first of a series of training and workshop sessions.
Alison Cross-Jones, one of four Westlea Housing residents on the panel, added: “We enjoyed the session. It was really useful to find out what it means for Westlea to be part of the consortium, and to understand how much benefit we get from it. Everyone knows how important it is that more affordable homes are built, and it’s just as important that these new homes will suit the needs of residents.
“We have been part of Westlea’s resident design panel for the last year, and hope we can share some of what we’ve learnt already with residents from other housing associations.”
The panel is made up of residents from areas as diverse as Plymouth, Bristol and the Thames Valley, and will be learning about all aspects of design, from kitchen space and loft storage, to sustainable sourcing, and open spaces.
Vale Housing Association tenant board member Ray Morse said: “It was a worthwhile and informative day and I hope it will carry on. There was time for open discussion and interesting debate about future designs for properties.”
Head of SDC Lindy Morgan said: “A lot of lip service is paid to resident involvement, but we recognise that our residents need support at decision-making level, if they are to play a part in the investment going on in their neighbourhoods.
“It’s been very interesting to see how residents from different housing associations view the design process. Our job is to get these views to converge, obviously within the framework of planning law, and government policy.”
It is the latest in a series of SDC initiatives to combine industry expertise with customer experience, to create better quality homes without slowing down on its impressive build-rate, which is delivering three affordable homes every week.
Published 22 December 2006
