Community Masterplan Four Acre Estate, St Helen's

Helena appointed Ainsley Gommon Architects to work with them to produce a detailed Five to Ten Year Improvement Plan for the Four Acre Estate in St Helens. The process would involved close consultation with Helena’s Development team.

We generated a series of options, which were financially appraised as a way of deciding the future of the estate. Options considered ranged from a light touch, which would yield minimal benefits to a failing community, through to a comprehensive demolition and redevelopment option, which would be very disruptive but would potentially offer a brighter future for the area. Tasks included a visual appraisal of the estate, a study for reordering the estate, potential for density reduction and the creation of new landmarks.

Subsequently in 2009, Ainsley Gommon was asked to revisit the original proposals, following the financial impact of the credit crunch. The new report provided an appraisal of the previous redevelopment options and established whether they were still financially viable. Identifying potential phases for works through three main; areas with several sub-phases within each. These sub-phases allowed for incremental development to be carried out if and when funding became available.

From the revised report Helena undertook a focused improvement program. This included external thermal envelope upgrades to the properties, improving environmental performance and landscape and boundary treatment enhancement and replacement. Ainsley Gommon formed one of the teams delivering the agreed program of works.