Client
Bellway Homes with Valleys to Coast Housing
Location
Bridgend, South Wales
Value
£12 million approx.
Date Completed
Winter 2009
Development Overview
Originally constructed in the late 1970’s / early 1980’s, the Chelsea Avenue estate of 181 homes approximately one mile from the centre of Bridgend presented a range of social problems and housing management difficulties. Plans to demolish the majority of the homes had commenced and Ainsley Gommon were appointed to produce a Masterplan to fully redevelop the area to provide a mix of Private, Rented and Low Cost Home Ownership dwellings.
The existing ‘loop road’ and infrastructure was retained, along with 6 of the original properties, and the design worked around these elements to create a high quality scheme of 116 new homes with a proportion of affordable units for social rent dispersed or ‘pepper potted’ within the housing mix. A large crescent block can be seen on entering the site to emphasise the village green outlook. A range of two, three and four bedroom terraced, semi-detached and detached homes a provided across the site and a number of existing home owners sensitively re-located to ensure they would continue to live on the estate close to their families. A large open green space was created at the heart of the estate, providing a ‘Village Green’ to promote a community feel and social interaction between the residents.
Multiple consultation events were held with the local community, involving both the local tenants and residents from the surrounding area which helped to develop the proposals through the design process.
