Cromwell Road public consultation
Winchester City Council and Radian Housing Association held a public exhibition of draft plans to redevelop a disused and overgrown allotment for affordable housing in Stanmore, this week.
The event was well attended by residents of the local area who had the opportunity to leave comments on the plans for Cromwell Road, which will be considered by both Radian and Winchester City Council before the project proceeds further.
The abandoned allotment site is located to the rear of 96 – 112 Cromwell Road and the potential development site also takes in the properties of 110 and 112 Cromwell Road. It is proposed that a total of nine affordable family houses could be provided on the site giving the opportunity for much needed homes for some local people.
The Cromwell Road site is recognised as having potential for affordable housing development in the Stanmore Community Action Plan, which is a priority for the local community. The proposed scheme shown at the exhibition has been redesigned following comments made on a planning application for ten dwellings on the site which was refused in December 2010.
There is a pressing need for more affordable houses for families on low incomes in both Winchester and Stanmore. As of December 2010 the Council has 4417 households on the Council’s housing register requiring housing or re-housing. This represents a 69% increase in applicants over the last 18 months. Due to the severe shortage of affordable accommodation in the area an average family could expect to wait between four and six years to obtain a three bedroom family house.
Councillor Tony Coates Portfolio Holder for Housing said,
This scheme proposes nine well designed family houses, which will provide much needed family accommodation in the area. The proposal will rejuvenate a disused allotment that has been abandoned for many years and the plans have been carefully designed to retain and protect all of the mature trees upon the northern boundary.
There has been a recent rapid increase in the numbers of households on the Councils waiting list for housing and I am very concerned by the length of time that households are having to wait before being housed or re-housed by the Council. Over the past few months the problem has become so severe that the Council has had to start using temporary accommodation such of as bed and breakfasts. The Council is committed to tackling this problem and is also committed to providing new affordable housing such as that proposed at Cromwell Road Stanmore.”