Consortium showcases flagship Bristol schemes
01.08.2006
Bristol’s hottest development partnership showcased some of its most innovative projects to the Housing Corporation recently.
Corporation Deputy Chief Executive Steve Douglas was accompanied by senior directors from the Sovereign Development Consortium on a fact-finding tour of the city’s cutting edge affordable housing.
Mr Douglas was shown around the Barton Hill New Deal regeneration zone, where Sovereign and Solon SouthWest Housing Associations have just replace two 1960s tower blocks with 26 family homes, built by Bovis.
He learned about the heavy resident involvement throughout the £3.3m project, including local-only allocation, residents choosing which house they wanted, and individual choices on materials for internal fittings.
Mr Douglas was also shown around a show-flat on Sovereign Housing Group’s prestigious apartment complex at Temple Quay in the city centre. The flat has been fitted out with £2,500 of Ikea furniture to demonstrate to first time buyers the low cost of setting up a part-buy part-rent home.
Finally, the party toured Brunelcare’s double award-winning Very Sheltered scheme for older people at Collier’s Gardens. The 50-bedroom complex includes restaurant, IT room, shop and haird salon, along with communal areas and space for health visits.
The scheme has so far won Best Affordable Housing Scheme 2006 at the Housing Design Awards, and Best Retirement Development at the National Homebuilder Design Awards.
After the tour, Head of Sovereign Development Consortium Lindy Morgan said: “Steve was enthused by the quality of our work in the Bristol area. The Corporation is committing massive funds to the south east and south west in particular, and as our Consortium has already built 114% of what we said we would, a day with us seemed the obvious place to start.”
Steve Douglas said: 'It was really good to see what a genuine partnership can achieve. Different organisations with complementary skills, using their specialist expertise to deliver a range of affordable homes provision to the highest quality.'
Published 4 August 2006
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