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Massive estate renewal programme announced     
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Berkshire’s biggest landlord has announced multimillion pound plans to improve housing estates and sheltered homes in and around Newbury.

Sovereign Housing Group intends to replace nearly 400 properties in seven towns and villages with modern homes, both for sale, for rent and for part-buy, over the next three years.

The major undertaking will see almost £50m invested in the large-scale redevelopment of outdated sheltered schemes and 1960s council housing.

Director of Development and Asset Management Grenville Barr said: “Seven out of eight Sovereign homes already pass the government test on living standards, but this has also provided us with an opportunity to use modern designs to keep the community spirit alive.”

The associaton is embarking on a wide consultation exercise with tenants, neighbours and other interest groups to create the best mix of apartments, family homes, secure sheltered sites and open spaces.

The schemes to be rebuilt include:

Newbury – Three outdated sheltered schemes at St Donat’s Place, Enborne Road and Willow Close will be replaced with a mix of around 85 private and affordable houses. The elderly residents will move to Sovereign’s £10m new apartment complex for the over55s, on the site of the former Newbury District Hospital.

Hungerford – The outdated Fairfields sheltered scheme in Fairview Road is to be rebuilt with 38 sheltered and seven new apartments for the disabled. Northview Heights will be rebuilt as a private development to pay for the project to create top-of-the range living for older people.

Pangbourne – Bedsits and small flats for the elderly at Pages Gardens will be demolished and 22 new apartments built at nearby Purley Way. Pangbourne people named new sheltered accommodation as their top local concern recently.

Burghfield – Sovereign already has planning consent to replace 24 flats and 3 bungalows on the Hunter’s Hill estate with 27 family homes for sale and rent. A contractor is about to be appointed so work can begin.

Chieveley – The former Bardown estate will be knocked down and the 51 homes replaced with 88 for sale, rent or to part-buy. Demolition of the estate begins at the end of the month.

Speen – Four blocks of unpopular flats at Kersey Crescent will be replaced by up to 133 houses and apartments after consultation this summer. Sovereign is currently relocating the last of the families as vacant accommodation becomes available.

Garages – Some of Sovereign’s 1500 garages prone to flytipping and nuisance behaviour have been sold to fund any of the above projects, or building elsewhere in West Berkshire. The project is almost complete, creating £1m.

Published 15 February 2006
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