Twynham Housing Association has written to all residents on the Somerford estate in Christchurch about how it is moving ahead with plans to refurbish and redevelop its homes there.

Managing Director Marion Franks explained: “We have had long-held ambitions to improve the quality of the housing, facilities and the overall environment of Somerford as we own more homes here than anywhere else.

“Our aims are to provide more quality, affordable housing for families; replace or improve our homes that don’t meet modern day standards; create a more mixed community (including by introducing part buy, part rent homes on the estate); and to look at new purpose-built accommodation for older people and at redeveloping the United Reformed Church site.”

Since the ‘Living in Somerford’ survey in early 2006, Twynham has undergone a complex exercise to identify parts of Somerford where it thinks that it could make better use of its land and properties to provide much needed new, affordable family housing. This is particularly important in somewhere like Christchurch where there is very little new land available.

The Association is now consulting on a proposed redevelopment programme which will see millions of pounds invested over the next few years in phases, to enable the local re-housing of residents affected by each project.

Only the first project at Cheviot Court has been looked at in detail where the proposal is to demolish the existing block of 18 flats and replace with 30-plus new homes – a mixture of two-bedroom flats for rent and shared ownership, and family houses for rent.

Nearby residents will be consulted on the Cheviot Court plans in early October before a planning application is submitted in the autumn. If the plans are approved, it is hoped that existing residents would move out by January 2008 so that work on the site could begin soon afterwards.

Christchurch Borough Council has also been informed of the programme as a whole and councillors there are supportive of Twynham’s ambitions to design any new developments as focal points on the estate, using modern means of construction and environmental good practice to create a community where people will be proud to live.

Marion Franks added: “Apart from Cheviot Court, all of the proposals are at a very initial stage. We want to carry on consulting residents, the Somerford Partnership and other agencies as specific plans progress in the future.

“We’ve sent initial information on all our ideas to residents across the estate and we are holding a drop-in event between 4pm and 8pm on Thursday 11 October at Somerford Hall. This will enable local people to come along with queries and to feed back any views on the outline redevelopment programme.”

Published 26 September 2007
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