11 June 2008
The Compendium Group has been selected by Barnsley Council as the preferred developer to transform a 1960s estate and surrounding area at Thurnscoe in South Yorkshire.
Over the next 16 years, The Compendium Group – a joint venture between The Riverside Group and Lovell – will invest approximately £100m into the regeneration programme, which includes redeveloping the Reema estate.
The development will not only provide brand new replacement homes for people whose houses are cleared and other local people but will also attract new residents who can also contribute to revitalising the area.
Cllr Bill Newman, Cabinet spokesman for Development, said: “The homes on the Reema estate were built largely from pre-fabricated hollow concrete panels, which have since been branded defective under housing legislation.
“After consultation with the Reema residents the Council has previously agreed the demolition of the estate. The demolitions were agreed because of a range of factors, including the cost of improving the defective homes, and the open plan layout which has contributed to a lack of defensible space on the estate.
“A significant element of this project is the building of a new road bridge across the railway line, currently seperating East and West Thurnscoe along with the development of a further site in East Thurnscoe. However the redevelopment of the Reema estate is just one of a number of initiatives within the Thurnscoe area of the Housing Market Renewal.
“We are delighted to welcome The Compendium Group on board to breathe new life into this area. They have a strong record on community engagement and they will be working closely with local residents over the next few months to finalise the plans for the estate.”
In consultation with local residents, Barnsley Council, Berneslai Homes, Chevin Housing Association and Transform South Yorkshire, The Compendium Group will build nearly 900 new homes for rent, shared ownership and open market sale.
The development will also feature significant public open space including a district park, two local parks and smaller informal recreation areas.
Dave Bullock, Director of the Compendium Group, said: “Conditions in this part of Thurnscoe have deteriorated, especially over recent years. We are delighted to have been selected to help transform the area and breathe new life into what historically was a thriving and vibrant community.
“The area’s decline has been hastened by a number of factors, including unemployment, low incomes, poor quality open space and associated problems such as anti-social behaviour. By transforming the housing and tenure mix, introducing high quality, well maintained green spaces and designing the development to maximise natural surveillance we will be tackling the roots of the area’s decline.”
“We will also be investing in community development, and working with local agencies and existing initiatives to target employment, training and new business opportunities and planning for the long term management of the new neighbourhoods.”
Jeff Goode, Director of Transform South Yorkshire, said: “We are looking forward to working closely with Barnsley MBC, Compendium and the local community to help transform Thurnscoe into a vibrant and thriving place."
Features such as solar hot water panels, high levels of thermal insulation, low energy heating systems and water saving taps will ensure that the properties have high standards of environmental efficiency which will bring economic benefits to residents and make a significant contribution to environmental sustainability.