£64 million Jubilee Square development completed – housing association takes possession of 93 new homes
St Albans City and District Council has completed Jubilee Square – the £64 million regeneration project to transform a rundown area of the City Centre.
A ceremony to celebrate the achievement was held at the site which includes two new landmark buildings and landscaped gardens.
The Council’s redevelopment of the area, where a former police station and NHS clinic were previously located, has created 93 much-needed new homes.
It also includes 5,000 square metres of commercial space, the equivalent of ten full-sized basketball courts.
All the flats have been bought by the housing association Watford Community Housing (WCH).
WCH is to make 33 available for social rent to people on St Albans City and District Council’s housing register. The first tenants are due to move in shortly and will include some former residents of Telford Court which is being decommissioned.
The remaining 60 apartments will be sold on a shared-ownership basis to give young people and key workers the chance to obtain a home of their own in an iconic location.
A new walkway, linking Victoria Street and Civic Close, is part of the development along with public gardens on the site of a former Quaker burial ground.
Lead Councillors and senior Council officers were among those who were at the launch ceremony on Wednesday 31 July.
Executives from WCH and Morgan Sindall Construction, the building contractor, were also in attendance as were representatives from St Albans Quakers.
Councillor Paul De Kort, the Council Leader, said: “I am pleased that we have completed this highly ambitious project to budget despite the enormous challenges that no one could have anticipated, including the Covid pandemic, soaring inflation, and changes to building regulations in the wake of the Grenfell fire.
“Jubilee Square is a great addition to the City Centre that we can all be proud of and that will be enjoyed by generations to come.”
Councillor Jacqui Taylor, Chair of the Housing and Inclusion Committee, said “One of our main priorities as a Council is to deliver more social housing.
“This multi-million-pound development is a vivid demonstration of our commitment to social rent housing in an area of high unaffordability.
“We have created 33 new social rent properties that will go to people on our housing register, and we will retain these nomination rights in the future.
“Telford Court has reached the end of its life and I am delighted that those moving out of that building who wish to take up a tenancy at Jubilee Square will be able to do so.
“In addition, the other 60 flats will be available on a shared ownership basis to make them more affordable than otherwise for people trying to get a property of their own.”
Tina Barnard, Chief Executive of Watford Community Housing, said: “We are delighted to have acquired Jubilee Square, bringing 93 much-needed new homes to St Albans.
“This development demonstrates the brilliant partnership working between housing associations and local councils that is vital to the delivery of affordable homes, and we are very pleased to be able to provide these homes to residents in St Albans, especially as it is an area that can be very expensive.
“We look forward to seeing the first residents move into these beautiful homes in the very near future.”
Emma Curtis, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Area Director for the Northern Home Counties, said: “The completion of Jubilee Square is a step forward for St Albans and I know that the project team, stakeholders and community are all incredibly proud of the work, innovations and creativity that has gone into the landmark project. Regeneration is not always an easy path and there have been lots of challenges for the team to overcome but that’s what has happened. Jubilee Square will breathe new life into this part of the city while simultaneously preserving important parts of St Albans’ history for future generations.
“The multifaceted nature of the scheme demonstrates how formerly single-purpose spaces can become more vibrant and versatile, providing a wider range of benefits and opportunities for the local area. To achieve this, it was important to take a holistic approach that considered the environmental, cultural, economic and wellbeing values of the community to help St Albans better reflect contemporary living, working and leisure requirements.”
Naomi Randles for St Albans Quakers said: “We are glad that our land has been relandscaped and extended to form an area of peace and tranquility in the middle of the City.
“We are pleased that the Council offered to inlay the names of the Quaker testimonies in the paving of the centre seating circle. The testimonies are Truth and Integrity, Peace, Simplicity and Sustainability, Equality and Justice. Quakerism is a way of life rather than a set of beliefs and the testimonies reflect this.”
Jubilee Square Facts
• The design of the Jubilee Square buildings was chosen by the public following an architectural competition.
• Both buildings have eco-friendly features to improve sustainability and limit harmful emissions.
• These include air source heat pumps, energy efficient lighting and green roofs which store rainwater.
• The centre of the landscaped area fronting Victoria Street is the site of a Quaker burial ground. The plot was purchased by Quakers in 1676 and used for some 200 years as a burial ground.
• Since 1906, it has been leased to the Council who maintained a public garden on the site which fronted the former police station.
• St Albans Quakers, also known as the Religious Society of Friends, were consulted about the plans and designed the landscaped garden with the help of an architect.
• The work to enhance the garden, including new seating, was supervised by an archaeologist because of the sensitivity of the site.
Jubilee Square includes 101 car park spaces, one per flat, with the remainder available for commercial tenants who may also be allowed to lease spaces at the Civic Centre car park.
Discussions have already taken place with businesses and other organisations interested in renting business space.
Photo: Simon Jacobs for St Albans City and District Council
Photo Caption: Leader of the Council, Cllr Paul de Kort (4th from left), next to the Mayor, Cllr Jamie Day, Cllr Jacqui Taylor (2nd from left), MP Daisy Cooper (right), project Manager Jenny Stenzel (left) and representatives from St Albans Quakers.
Contact for the media: Claire Wainwright, Strategy, Policy and Communications Manager: 01727 819572; claire.wainwright@stalbans.gov.uk