Work to build affordable homes on garage sites begins
St Albans City and District Council has started work on a £6 million project to build 24 new affordable homes across three disused garage sites in Batchwood.
Demolition of the garages has already begun at the council-owned sites in Ladies Grove, Partridge Road and Blundell Close. Construction work is due to begin next month. The homes will form part of the Council’s housing stock and be rented out to people in housing need who are on the Housing Register.
This is the first time that the Council has decided to develop disused garage sites to add to its own housing stock. The Council will be managing the project. In the past, the Council has worked with housing associations to develop council-owned garage sites as affordable housing. This has involved transferring the sites for development in return for nomination rights.
The homes in Batchwood are due to be completed in February 2018, Cabinet heard at a meeting on Thursday 26 January. They will include six one-bedroom, 17 two-bedroom and one three-bedroom properties. Two of the homes will be suitable for wheelchair users.
Cllr Brian Ellis, Portfolio Holder for Housing at St Albans City and District Council, said:
“This exciting project will provide much-needed affordable housing for people who are in housing need and add to the Council’s own housing stock. It forms part of the Council’s ongoing programme of developing disused garage sites for affordable housing.”
The Council is also planning to develop two former garage sites in Sandridge into 23 affordable homes. These and the affordable homes that are being built in Batchwood will be owned and managed by the Council.
Since 2013, the Council’s development programme for under-utilised garages has resulted in the building of 20 affordable homes across five former garage sites in the District. The sites are: White Hedge Drive, Offas Way, Housden Close, Beech Crescent and in Cotlandswick. The properties are
all owned and managed by registered social landlords and the Council nominates people on its housing list to be tenants.
In addition, North Herts Homes is working with the Council to develop two former garage sites in London Colney into 14 homes, seven homes in Telford Road and seven homes in Cotlandswick. The Council will have nomination rights for the nine homes available for rent. There will also be five properties available for shared ownership.
The agenda and papers for the meeting are available on the Council’s website. The meeting was webcast and can be watched online.
Councillor contact:
Cllr Brian Ellis, Portfolio Holder for Housing at St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01582 767621
Contact for the media:
Amanda Wilkinson,
Senior Communications Officer
St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819317
E-mail: amanda.wilkinson@stalbans.gov.uk
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StAlbansCouncil
Photo: Garages at Blundell Close before being demolished