A major gateway into Swindon will benefit from a £23m regeneration project and building could start in 12 months’ time.
Under the plans, 122 non-traditionally built council homes will be demolished and replaced with 160 new modern properties along Queens Drive. The proposed regeneration sites include sheltered housing accommodation George Gay Gardens, the area south of Wolsely Road and St Ives Court on Tyneham Road and would be included in three phases.
It forms part of Swindon Borough’s Pledge 7, to build more affordable homes including 200 council homes and 66 units through the Affordable Housing Development programme.
All three Council-owned sites require significant investment with George Gay Gardens deemed no longer fit for purpose. The proposed demolition of the 50 flats at the sheltered housing scheme would provide the Council with the opportunity to build an extra-care facility which would support people with dementia to live as independently as possible. Alternatively, the site could be used as a mixed tenure residential housing scheme.
The second phase of the regeneration would involve building 10 homes for sale on the site of the current St Ives Court, which would then provide the funding for phase three of the scheme.
The third phase of the development would see the demolition of 36 flats at the T-Blocks that face onto Queens Drive, south of Wolsely Road. The clearing of the site would allow 90 new homes to be built.
Construction is likely to start from late 2017 up until 2020. The Council’s Housing Revenue Account would replace rented units, and use revenue from selling additional units to help fund them. The remainder of the cost will come from borrowing against the future rental income.
The new development, which was approved by Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet earlier this month, would include an improved public realm and follows on from the soon-to-becompleted £9.6m Sussex Place development which is providing just under 50 new homes.
The Council currently has six affordable housing schemes, including Sussex Place, either underway or soon to start which will provide a mixture of affordable rented accommodation, keyworker homes or housing for people with mobility or care needs.