Category: Homes

Four things taken from Torquay this year

Portillo at CIH in 2011

The Chartered Institute of Housing’s South West conference in Torquay seems to have been a success this year, in spite of the cutbacks that hit sponsorship budgets and delegate numbers.

The CIH is a key partner for the HCA and this is a really important event for us to be involved in, particularly at a time of reorganisation.

Even though our sponsorship of the event is a thing of the past, I am glad we maintained a delegate presence this year (NB: three of us were guests, including two speakers).

I found attending yesterday worthwhile, made some good contacts and found out a few nuggets of information which I would not have known if I had stayed in the office. Here are some noteworthy discoveries, along with some thoughts about the event itself.

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Is ‘self build’ the answer to our housing headache?

Self Build

I remember the feeling as a reporter when I wrote about workers who were taking action over what they perceived to be bad wages, and would realise they were paid more than me.

I’m reminded of this today when I hear of measures aimed at helping young families onto the housing ladder and the need to address the country’s housing crisis.

I am not debt ridden, or badly paid. But when Grant Shapps talks of young families who are caught in a pincer movement between the paucity of available credit, high housing prices and the substantial deposits needed to get decent mortgages, it feels like he could be talking about me.

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Forches funding underlines local comms challenges

Forches, Barnstaple

This week’s announcement that the HCA is investing almost £2.5m in a vital estate regeneration project in Devon is massive news.

The Forches estate in Barnstaple is not at the front of many people’s minds when they think about the lifestyle that Devon offers. 

But the area poses some very real issues of poor housing, deprivation and unemployment which exist in pockets across the county.

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Hanham Hall visit caps hell of a year

Hanham Hall, near Bristol

My first year at the Homes and Communities Agency passed today with the visit of its chief executive Pat Richie to the South West. It was a day of two parts.

Firstly, and most importantly, she was in Bristol to talk to colleagues about the ongoing restructure of the HCA. The agency is consulting staff (myself included) on proposed changes which will see us reduce in size by 50% over two years.

After the two-hour briefing, we visited Hanham Hall, one of the most exciting housing developments in the country on the outskirts of the city. 

The site is to host more than 180 ‘carbon neutral’ houses, built to Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. I’ve visited this scheme a couple of times. I’m fascinated by the progress made on the proud Grade II listed former hospital building, which Barratt is converting to high environmental standards. Hats off to them.

It’s easy to forget that I have been in Bristol for 12 months. But seeing the progress on this development and hearing about the agency’s plans for the future brought that fact home today. 

Some pictures from the visit can be seen below.

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‘Stunning’ image shows eco-scheme in vivid detail

Images of what Beechfield Avenue, Torquay, will look like (courtesy of Sovereign)

This new computer-generated image reveals in striking detail Sovereign South+West’s flagship environmentally sustainable housing development, which is currently being developed in Torbay.

It reveals for the first time how the homes in Beechfield Avenue, Torquay, are expected to look when complete. The new project will be the first in Torbay to be built to Levels 4 and 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. The HCA supported it last year with an investment of £7m.

The images have been rightly described as ‘stunning’ in the local media today. I am looking forward to seeing the real deal when the scheme is complete.

Looking at real life localism

Localism project in High Bickington, Devon

I spent yesterday in the village of High Bickginton, which hosts the best  example of localism in action I have seen.

Villagers are driving forward a fantastic development – by local people, for local people. It is set to deliver affordable housing, workspace, employment opportunities and community facilities.

I was there with a colleague, supporters of the project and a journalist from Planning magazine who is writing a feature on High Bickington. I hope this highlights how local action and partnership working can deliver the amenities communities are calling for.

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