Stoke Residents to hear how £177m project will improve housing estates (from stoke.gov.uk)

Article sourced from  http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/content/cc/news_releases/2010-press-releases/2010-03-march/084-10.en

 

Residents are being given the chance to find out how a £177m scheme will transform six city housing estates.

 

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been provisionally allocated the money under round six of the government’s private finance initiative. It paves the way for more than 700 homes to be built and environmental improvements to be made in the suburban estates of Abbey Hulton, Bentilee, Blurton, Chell Heath and Fegg Hayes, Meir and Norton.

 

A series of seven roadshows will take place across the next two weeks to give residents the chance to talk to neighbourhood renewal officers and find out more about the plans.

 

The events will take place at:

 

 

The ambition is to involve building around 700 well designed new and replacement homes across the six estates, including two, three and four bedroom houses, and housing for older people, the disabled and those with special housing needs. Almost 500 of the new homes will be for affordable rent and the rest for outright sale or shared ownership. The scheme will also include carrying out environmental improvements including new children’s play facilities and enhancing street lighting and closed circuit television.

 

Councillor John Daniels, cabinet member for housing, environmental and neighbourhood services, said: “This is a hugely significant scheme which will help drive up the quality of life and housing conditions in our priority housing estates.

 

“I urge as many local people as possible to come forward and find out about the scheme. We are still in the early stages of the programme and will be submitting an outline business case to the government in July for approval of our plans for the estates.

 

“We want to involve residents right from the beginning and these roadshows are the chance to meet officers and talk through the proposals.”

 

Once the outline business case is approved, a procurement process would then take place to appoint a development partner. Building work is expected to begin in 2013 or 2014 and last for around five years.