Regeneration plan for care home site
Partnership project for eight new houses will still go ahead
A FLAGSHIP project to build affordable homes in Hungerford is apparently still on, despite no visible progress after almost two years.
In January 2019, a site in Coldharbour Road was chosen to be developed under a new joint project by Sovereign Housing and West Berkshire Council.
Former Hungerford district councillor Paul Hewer promised at the time there would be an imminent announcement of a planning application.
The partnership confirmed it would build eight homes on the site of the former Chestnut Walk care home, which was forced to close after falling victim to West Berkshire Council’s cuts in public services in 2016/17.
But since then, nothing concrete has been announced and the care home building, which once housed a community, remains abandoned and derelict.
Sovereign Housing said at the time: “Chestnut Walk, in Hungerford, has been identified as one of the first sites that will be developed by this joint venture, pooling our land, investment and skills to replace a disused care home with eight new and affordable homes.
“We’re expecting the site to ultimately feature eight new homes for shared ownership, potentially built using modern methods.
“While we’ve been working hard on the planning application, it’s our intention to submit it once the joint venture is formally set up.”
The new project was to have been undertaken by a limited liability partnership between the district council and the housing association.
By last June, residents were complaining about the derelict state of the former care home and the neglect of its surroundings with rampant weeds and fly-tipping, stating that they
felt abandoned.
Resident Neil Holmes said at the time: “Teenagers run riot, spraying graffiti and taking drugs here.
“It’s neglected and getting worse. “The area looks like it has just been abandoned.”
That prompted the following response from the housing association: “We’re speaking with West Berkshire Council to make sure the former care home is maintained appropriately.”
Nevertheless, at a meeting of Hungerford Town Council’s environment and planning committee this month, it was warned that the area was still being allowed to “go to rack and ruin”.
Asked what had become of the flagship project to build affordable homes on the site, Sovereign Housing spokeswoman Lucy Cook said: “It appears that the land you’re talking about is owned by West Berkshire Council.”
She directed all enquiries to the district council.
A spokeswoman for West Berkshire Council, Peta Stoddart-Crompton, said: “We appreciate that the site is becoming run down, but we do have a regeneration plan in progress.”
She repeated the January 2019 announcement that a joint venture with Sovereign, known as Homes for West Berkshire ( HWM) had been created and that Chestnut Walk had been identified as one of the priority sites.
Ms Stoddart-Crompton added: “We are through the advanced feasibility stage for this project and are currently working up designs for the development.”