Dorset-based residential specialist AJC Group has started work a series of ‘move-on’ homes in Poole.
The £3.5m contract – which has been issued by Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council – will see the delivery of 24 purpose-designed apartments for residents who are currently homeless or who require a form of move-on accommodation.
The homes will be contained within a single building located on the site of the former Bourne Valley Community Centre at 56 Herbert Avenue.
The groundworks and infrastructure phase of the project was completed on schedule, with AJC Group set to complete the construction and fit-out phase by August 2023.
Funded by BCP Council, the new development will meet Passivhaus negligible energy demand principles, which AJC says will help to reduce fuel poverty.
Three of the new homes will be wheelchair accessible; and there will be 10 parking spaces, a bike store, and a communal garden.
‘Trailblazing’
David Cracklen, director of AJC Group, said: “This trailblazing development has been designed locally, it will be constructed by our local supply chain, and as soon as the new homes are handed over to BCP Council, they will be occupied by local people.
“With Poole and Sandbanks being such a tourist hotspot, the need for ‘move on’ accommodation might not be at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
“However, the high cost of living here is why this scheme on Herbert Avenue is so vital.
“We are all too aware of the waiting list of people in need for these homes, so we have committed all resources possible to ensure the project is completed to schedule.”
He continued: “As a specialist in affordable housing, this eco-focused scheme is central to our core social values of building communities and delivering lasting change.
“We are very proud to be working in partnership with BCP Council on a project that will make a real difference to local people and the local economy.”
BCP Council’s homelessness commitment
BCP Council says its vision is to end homelessness in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole by ensuring everyone has a safe place to live that they can call home.
The Herbert Avenue development is expected to reduce the dependency on “inappropriate” bed and breakfast accommodation by providing a more suitable housing solution that can help to stop the cycle of homelessness.
Cllr Karen Rampton, BCP Council portfolio holder for People and Homes, said: “I am thrilled that this purpose-designed development will soon be coming out of the ground.
“To provide homes for families where they can be in the centre of a great community neighbourhood, with everything accessible, is fantastic and I just cannot wait to see the end result.”
Cllr Phillip Broadhead, deputy leader of BCP Council and Portfolio Holder for Development, Growth, and Regeneration, said: “We’ve got a super-ambitious house building programme.
“We’re aiming to build over 1,000 directly delivered homes over the next few years, and this particular development is delivering for some of our most vulnerable in society, with really good eco-standards as well.
“It is keeping jobs in the local economy, helping our residents, and doing it in a way that sets really high standards.”
Main image: CGI rendering of the completed AJC Group development at 56 Herbert Avenue, Poole
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