Riverside Gardens, Newbury
The Site
Local authority: West Berkshire Council
Client: Sovereign Housing Association
Developer: Croudace HomesCost: £6m (inc £3.7m LA grant)
Number: 79 affordable and 128 private
In 1999, West Berkshire Council announced that it was merging two secondary schools on a new campus, and sold the 7.8acre Turnpike School site to Sovereign for £7.5m, with a promise that the money would be reinvested in affordable housing. The school was demolished in 2000.
Sovereign also had 57 hard-to-let flats next to the school, so the development area was expanded, and Croudace Homes appointed to build out the project.
Through an open book partnering agreement, Sovereign, the council and developer were able to share information early on, to design a sustainable residential development, complete with £1.5m community centre, games pitch and open space to be shared with residents of the older Turnpike estate, where 280 homes are still owned by Sovereign.
The Scheme
Croudace secured the planning consent in 2000 for a development of 40 per hectare, with a 38% affordable quota. The affordable homes were pepperpotted throughout the development, with the socially rented family homes (3bed) typically 12% larger than their private equivalent.
On the flats site, Sovereign built 47 new houses, 26 rented and 21 shared ownership (cost £3.4m). The remaining 32 for rent were pepperpotted throughout the development. The affordable family homes (3 bed) were typically 12% larger than their private equivalent.
Although access is from a main road, there is a through route connecting to shops on the 1960s Turnpike estate, and roads are narrow and winding to stop speeding. Parking set at 1.8 per home.
Completion date: Start on site July 2001. Completion Feb 2003
Dev focus- Riverside Gardens NEWBURY.pdf - 198kb
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