Working in partnership with social housing provider First Wessex, Lovell will build more than 200 new homes across three sites at Exford Avenue, Harefield; Laxton Close, Sholing, and Meggeson Avenue, Bitterne Park. The schemes form part of the second phase of the Council鈥檚 multi-million pound estates regeneration programme.聽
Existing housing at each site will be demolished to make way for the new homes 鈥� a mixture of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom houses and apartments 鈥� which will be available across a range of tenures including affordable rent and open market sale. At Exford Avenue, Lovell will also replace an existing shopping parade with seven new retail units and relocate a children鈥檚 play area.聽
Housing at all three sites will meet Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, the system for measuring the environmental performance of new housing. That means they will be 44 per cent more energy-efficient than homes built to current building regulations, reducing energy bills for residents. Sustainable features will include solar thermal technology and advanced drainage systems. In addition, all properties available for affordable rent will meet the Lifetime Homes Standard.
Subject to planning permission, work on all three schemes is expected to begin early next year (2011).聽
鈥淟ovell has leading expertise in helping transform neighbourhoods through the provision of high-quality, energy-efficient, affordable housing and modern community facilities,鈥� says Lovell regional director Steve Coombs. 鈥淭his is a major community regeneration programme which will significantly improve housing accommodation for local residents. We鈥檙e looking forward to starting construction and working together with Southampton City Council and First Wessex over the coming months.鈥澛�
鈥淪outhampton City Council is positively investing to improve the quality of its tenant鈥檚 lives and the appointment of Lovell and First Wessex demonstrates our commitment to move ahead with plans to give tenants safe and secure homes where they will want to live now and in the future,鈥� says Councillor Peter Baillie, Southampton City Council cabinet member for housing. 鈥淎t every stage of the consultation, we listened to the local community to gain their views and find out what they wanted from this new scheme 鈥� and by working with local residents and businesses, we can together breathe new life into our council estates.鈥澛�
鈥淲e are excited to be part of three out of the four council estate transformations in Southampton,鈥� says First Wessex development director Hazel Warwick. 鈥淭he projects will provide approximately 100 new affordable homes for local residents and will help towards satisfying the demand for affordable housing within the city.聽
鈥淔irst Wessex is proud of the continuous regeneration work that it carries out, breathing new life into areas of the city that need it most. These three schemes are another example of our commitment to providing high-quality affordable homes in the city, whilst developing communities to be proud of.鈥澛�
Image: An artist鈥檚 impression of the housing regeneration scheme to be delivered by Lovell at Meggeson Avenue, Bitterne Park, Southampton.
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