THURROCK Council is moving ahead with two major social housing projects without a development partner reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
Despite the council’s dire financial position, it aims to “self-deliver” the long awaited Blackshots scheme and will not be seeking a development partner. The scheme will see the demolition of three dilapidated tower blocks.
At a housing overview and scrutiny meeting on Tuesday, councillors were informed pre application planning discussions had been positive regarding the design of the scheme.
The scheme will deliver 258 homes on two sites at Blackshots – 78 on north site and 180 on the south site. This will consist of 25 houses ten bungalows, 217 flats, and six maisonettes. These will all be affordable and will replace the current 168 homes, of which 156 affordable.
Controversially, the project will involve using a piece of green belt land on Blackshots field which will be replaced at another green belt site.
Joycelyn Redsell, Conservative councillor for Little Thurrock Blackshots, said: “I’ve not got any problems with the north site because there’s enough room there to do it but I don’t think we’ve looked at this widely enough. You want to take Blackshots playing field that was given to the people of Thurrock.
“If you’re offering a piece of green belt for a playing field why aren’t you building on that. You’re asking me as a councillor to give one lot of green belt for another lot of green belt.”
The council is also developing homes in Teviot Avenue.
The plans involve demolishing 36 homes that are currently in a poor condition and replacing them with 48 new homes.
The council plans to set aside £1million to buy out leaseholders and £320,000 to help relocate tenants. They will be a mix of 30 houses and 18 flats.
Neil Speight, Independent councillor for Stanford-le-Hope West, said: “I think this a brilliant project. It’s exactly what we should be doing long-term. My fear is, given that we’ve got Blackshots, given we’ve got the financial situation that we’re in and all the other stuff that’s going on at the council, are we biting off more than we can chew with this project at this time?
“We’re already talking establishing a fund of £1million for leasehold buyout and then I look at the risk rating on the project and we can’t even say whether it would get planning permission.
Hi,
I’m a resident of one of these tower blocks and although you may not see why the council are demolishing them, we are living here – and I mean barely scraping by. We’re raising our children in flats that are absolutely wrecked by mould and damp, our children are ending up in hospital and our belongings destroyed. We have mould in all of the places you could possibly imagine and are ill constantly. Carpets, blinds, clothing, beds – everything is covered. Some of us have been living here for years now and are absolutely exhausted with the weekly bleaches and scrub downs, having to sleep with it on our lungs and our children’s lungs, throwing away beds, clothes and shoes, not being able to decorate our homes, having to spend 100’s upon 100’s of pounds heating the place to fight the damp, fighting a losing battle. This isn’t just about money any more, but the quality ( or lack there of ) our daily lives.