Pictured above: (l-r) Sir Bob Kerslake and West Mercia
Housing Group Chief Executive and CIH President Howard
Farrand
Coventry has sparked national interest as building work at one
of Coventry's most ambitious redevelopment projects got
underway.
Sir Bob Kerslake, the chief executive of The Homes and
Communities Agency, visited Coventry to celebrate the start of
building work on the £360m housing redevelopment of Wood End,
Henley Green, Deedmore and Manor Farm in the north east of the
city.
In total approximately 3,000 new homes are to be built over 15
years, affecting the lives of around 7,000 residents.
While on site, Sir Bob helped residents and young people to
create a time capsule which was buried on the development. The
capsule, which will contain everything from the cost of milk and
petrol, to photos of the area, will demonstrate to future
generations what life was like before the redevelopment took
place.
£5.9m of investment from the HCA has enabled builders to
commence work on the first 154 homes, a mix of mainly two and three
storey properties. Thirty-nine of these will be available at
affordable rent by Whitefriars Housing Group with the remainder
offered for sale by developers Bovis Homes, Keepmoat Homes and
Persimmon Homes. A further £1.6m of HCA funding has gone into
installing a new combined heat and power district heating system,
reducing carbon emissions on the development as well as offering
local families reduced fuel bills. The first homes, built in the
area around the former Deedmore School and Monkswood Crescent, are
expected to be completed in October.
Martin Smith, NDC's resident chair and chair of the Regeneration
Action Team, said: "This is a momentous occasion. Over many years
the residents and agencies operating in the area have been working
together to make this redevelopment a reality. I'm delighted that
Sir Bob Kerslake visited us and I hope that he enjoyed seeing for
himself the impact that the scheme will have."
Commenting on his visit, Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of
the Homes and Communities Agency said: "This scheme is a fantastic
example of community regeneration with local people heavily
involved in steering how their area is developed. I have met a lot
of residents today who have been involved in this scheme for many
years and the HCA is delighted to have enabled it to reach this
important stage by investing in the first 154 new homes.
"When you look at the impressive community infrastructure here
in the new neighbourhood and leisure centre, health centre, primary
schools and the broad spectrum school currently being built by the
HCA, you get a real sense of the potential this area has in the
future."
Philip Roberts, partnerships director at Advantage West
Midlands, which invested £600,000 in the redevelopment, said:
"This is a great example of how our support at the beginning of a
project can help to create large-scale changes. I'm thrilled
to know that our investment will provide people in Coventry with a
positive legacy into the future."
In addition to homes, work will also take place to improve the
local environment, including the construction of new roads, shops,
green spaces and play areas. The final touches are also being
made to the new Castle Wood School on Deedmore Road, which is due
to open its doors in September 2010.
The project is being led by Whitefriars Housing Group, in
partnership with Coventry City Council, Coventry New Deal for
Communities and developer partners.