The Oaks, Newbury
The Site
Local authority: West Berkshire Council
Client: Sovereign Housing Association
Developer: Lovells
Cost: £7.5m (inc £3.4m council grant).
Number: 62 affordable units of 110 in total
HQI: 64%
This is the third incarnation of social housing on a site on the southern edge of Newbury. The 1950s development Camp Close was demolished in 1970, and replaced with Sandleford Rise, a Radburn design estate of 97 properties.
The estate is a cul-de-sac off a main road, and bordered by rows of 1950s bungalows. By 2000 Sandleford Rise had a poor reputation as a crime hotspot, and was difficult to manage. However, West Berkshire Council agreed to recycle its housing grant in an estate redevelopment programme, of which Sandleford Rise would be the first.
With half the funding in place, Sovereign secured planning consent in December 2001 for a mixed tenure estate of 110 homes, working out at 42 per hectare. The site was demolished in 2002.
The Scheme
With around 30 residents keen to move back to the estate, Sovereign involved tenants in design, access and crime reduction measures. The basic estate road layout remains, but with play areas, courtyards, and driveways added.
Lovells developed the 110 units with 62 affordable, including five for keyworkers, six for disabled homes, and six for shared ownership. Lovells then sold the 48 private homes on the open market.
The affordable family homes are 11% bigger than their private equivalent, and all households have 1.3 parking spaces each .
Completion date: 2004
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