Over the next three years Worthing Homes are investing £40m on new homes in the Sussex region, with the assistance of grants from the HCA (Homes and Communities Agency) totalling £13.5m.
There are currently three development schemes under way Hampton Place in Wick, Blakes Mead at Felpham, and Columbia Drive in Durrington. These three sites will provide 280 much needed new homes in the Sussex area.
Blakes Mead at Felpham, which is Worthing Homes’ largest single development, will provide 209 of these homes. The scheme is costing £30m with an £8.5m grant from the HCA and Arun District Council. Building started in 2010 and will be completed in 2015. The properties at this site are being ‘let’ in phases with the first of these having been let already.
Work started recently at the old St Barnabas site on Columbia Drive in Durrington. This development, which has received £3.6m grant from the HCA with a total scheme cost of £7.7m will provide 51 properties. Completion of the site is expected early 2013.
All of the developments will contain a mixture of houses and flats, with the majority of the properties being available to rent as social or affordable housing which is accessed through the council waiting list via the choice based lettings scheme. The remainder will be available on intermediate rent.
Along with the new developments Worthing Homes are also investing over £3m in repairs and major works to Cambourne, Dene Court and Glyndebourne Court. The three blocks were purchased by Worthing homes from another housing association who were disposing of the flats as part of a stock rationalisation exercise. The change of landlord to Worthing Homes means that the residents now benefit from a local and much improved service.
The repairs and works planned will ensure that these flats are brought up to the Government’s decent home standard. The works started earlier this month and will be carried out by local contractor Rydon. Along with new kitchens and bathrooms where needed, it is hoped that a new entrance canopy will be provided to Cambourne Court to enhance a very dated block.
The project is also set to include the work of Relish™ Worthing Homes award winning retrofit project, where we will be assisting the residents to change their lifestyles to help them reduce their household fuel bills. The works to the flats will include insulation improvements and new A rated condensing boilers as part of this.