Plans for affordable homes on former hospital site
PLANS for 18 affordable homes in Newbury have been put forward by West Berkshire Council.
The site was the former Sandleford hospital on Newtown Road, which was demolished in 2004 so has been vacant for some time.
The site is currently a vacant and overgrown brownfield site.
The northern portion was redeveloped in 2004 as the Phoenix Resource Centre.
The scheme proposes to deliver two blocks of nine one-, two- and three-bed apartments.
The council says there is a strong demand for these unit types in the area.
Sovereign Housing association has formed a joint venture company with West Berkshire Council, Homes for West Berkshire LLP, in order to bring forward sites to deliver much-needed affordable
housing.
“The need for affordable housing in Newbury, and the
district generally, is evident and the proposed development will make a substantial contriwas bution to its availability locally,” says the application.
“This scheme will make an important contribution to meeting the significant need for affordable housing across West Berkshire.”
Sovereign has secured a grant allocation of £72m from Homes England, as part of the Housing Infrastructure Fund, to deliver 1,450 new affordable homes within its operating area.
Accordingly, this grant funding could be used in any of the 31 local authority areas in which it operates.
It is proposed to deliver the entirety of the proposed development as affordable housing in partnership with West Berkshire Council and Sovereign Housing association.
The plans were recommended for approval at West Berkshire Council’s western area planning meeting, which was due to meet yesterday evening (Wednesday) as this paper went to press.