Fundamentally, ensuring the full scope of the exercise was understood by both parties from the start helped to mitigate any misunderstandings during or on completion. Outlining the next steps and how the project was going to be achieved set the scene and inspired confidence that the feasibility study would be delivered on time. In addition, RG+P’s lead consultant acted as chairperson for the process which was key in driving the process forward and engaging all stakeholders. Accurate minutes were produced on the same day, together with the request for information schedule which helped keep actions on track and completion within agreed timescales.
Design Concept
NBBC’s vision was for the regeneration proposals to create a sociable place, where people feel happy and proud to live. RG+P’s interpretation of that vision is shown in the picture below. This shows the Recreation Ground which will be transformed into a green asset benefitting the community, with the green spine connecting the community from north to south.
Collaboration featured extensively in all aspects of the project. Workshops (albeit it on Microsoft Teams due to the COVID-19 pandemic) were beneficial as was the use of Google Earth. In normal circumstances site visits would have given a better scale of the changes being proposed. The process was iterative in nature starting from an initial concept that led on through a sequence of workshops building upon the former. At each stage comments from different stakeholders that produced a gradual process of refinement.
Several overarching themes and objectives emerged from this process which are summarised below:
1. Creation of a “green spine” to connect recreation grounds with regeneration sites.
2. More pedestrian friendly links across the development and beyond
3. Defining the edge of the recreation ground with the new development – providing material surveillance over the park and an attractive outlook for residents
4. Greening of streets more generally with landscaping and trees incorporated into the proposal wherever possible and use of ‘shared surfaces’.
5. Retention and improvement of connections to the parks and wider community.
6. Creating well defined streets with a mix of houses and small apartments arranged in perimeter blocks.
7. Introducing ‘landmark’ buildings creating gateways shopping areas.
The Master Plan
The Master Plan has evolved from an initial idea that sought to re-introduce ‘streets and spaces’ into an area that has had its original Victorian character eroded by post-war development. It proposes the removal of outdated apartment blocks and the reintroduction of a broader mix of house types and varied apartments to suit a wide range of accommodation needs identified by NBBC.
Social streets are the building blocks of the Master Plan and these are created by arranging houses and apartments to define streets and enclose private spaces such as gardens and rear courtyards. By introducing more dwellings and smaller apartments that all have individual entrances onto the street, a greater sense of community can be created through stewardship of the public realm and a more neighbourly outlook. This arrangement also allows more opportunities for ‘eyes on the street’, helping to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
One of the major interventions of the masterplan is to provide much better definition and enclosure of the Recreation Ground. This will be achieved with houses and apartments, most of which will be 2-3 storeys in height. A range of different types will be used to create this edge and respond to their context.
House Type Design
There were lots of interesting discussions around house designs. NBBC wanted a consistent house design to use across the whole regeneration area. The intention is that all house types will share some of the same characteristics. However, they will not be identical as it was felt a mixed approach to the typologies is beneficial in providing a wide range of accommodation types to suit residents at different life stages.
The houses will:
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Be vertically organised, with a first floor living room to reduce impact of street noise and utilise a roof terrace over the integral garages.
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Have reduced gardens, supplemented in some cases with roof terraces.
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Have internal car parking to reduce the impact of parking on the street scene.
The house types are combined to create strong visually appealing groupings which contribute to the wider place making agenda and individual character of the streets.
One of NBBC’s objectives was to ensure the new homes would be energy efficient above current building regulations to keep in step with the climate change agenda of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. These measures will also help toward addressing fuel poverty. National space standards were agreed and aligned with Homes England preferred unit sizes.
The Mix of Homes
In November 2013, a Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) was published. The SHMA states a range of type and size of housing is needed to redress imbalances of specific types and sizes, to meet the needs of the changing household structures and to meet the aspirations for the Borough’s economy. This research helped to inform the Council’s Affordable Housing and Range and Mix paper produced in 2015 that would inform developments in the Borough throughout the future.
The Joint SHMA 2013 recognises that there are a range of factors influencing the demand for different sizes of homes. This includes demographic changes, future growth in real earnings and a household’s ability to save, economic performance and housing affordability. It also analyses a range of factors, including long term demographic trends to provide guidance on the future mix of market housing.
For NBBC the modelling of long-term social housing needs indicates in particular a comparatively higher need for one-bed properties relative to other areas. However, provision of larger homes can have benefits in managing the housing stock; and one-bed properties may be unpopular. Based on the evidence they recommended the following strategic mix of affordable housing:
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1-bed properties: 40-45%
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2-bed properties: 25-30%
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3-bed properties: 20-25%
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4+ bed properties: 5-10%
This information was used as a basis to create the following mix of new homes in the proposed regeneration area considering specific localised housing needs as well.
Type
|
Numbers
|
Percentage by bed space
|
1 Bed Bungalow
|
3
|
(1%)
|
1 bed flat
|
74
|
(30%)
|
1 Bedroom Type total
|
77
|
31%
|
2 Bed Bungalow
|
7
|
(3%)
|
2 Bed Flat
|
31
|
(13%)
|
2 Bed House
|
46
|
(19%)
|
2 Bedroom Type Total
|
84
|
34%
|
3 Bed House
|
61
|
(25%)
|
3 Bedroom Type Total
|
61
|
25%
|
4 Bed House
|
23
|
(9%)
|
4 Bed Type Total
|
23
|
9%
|
Total Numbers of Dwellings
|
245
|
100%
|
Viability Report
Two options were considered:
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Do nothing – requiring Whole Life Costs (WLC) of the existing assets.
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Regeneration of the existing assets – requiring WLC of the proposed new assets.
Information gathering for NBBC was the main activity, which included identifying:
RG+P adhered to a recognised methodology to work out WLC. BCIS cost date and other sources were used. In addition, the Building Research Establishment (BRE) component life expectancies for major element renewal were incorporated into the costings.
Essentially, baseline information for the existing stock projected over a 60-year period to work out total costs of the asset against total income was compared to the proposed regeneration scheme.
Results
The existing assets of NBBC are 209 compared to 245 potential new assets within the proposed regeneration – a net gain of 36 homes. Whilst this is not considered a significant increase in units, full occupancy of the regeneration scheme will accommodate 933 residents. Compared to the 443 people housed in the existing scheme this is a significant increase in accommodation.
Costs
The proposed regeneration scheme with full social rent identified a marginal negative return of -1.51% as opposed to the negative return of the existing asset of circa -2.78%.
Two further options were reviewed that included.
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Disposal of some units through outright sales or
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Letting the additional units at local housing allowance (LHA) level less 20%.
Option 1 produced a marginal negative return of -1.08% and improved upon the full social rent return by 0.43%.
Option 2 produced a positive return of 2.62%.