A housing development including new homes for people with a learning disability has been completed in Bradley Stoke, South Gloucestershire.
Residents have moved into Hornbeam Close, the nine family and 12 supported living homes developed by LiveWest in collaboration with care provider Milestones Trust and South Gloucestershire Council.
The nine family houses are a mixture of two and three-bed houses. The learning disability project is made up of 11 one-bedroom flats, two of which are wheelchair accessible, a two-bedroom accessible flat, a communal indoor space and a garden.
David Davies, our Head of Supported Housing reflects on our decision to incorporate the learning disability scheme into the development. He said: “Supported housing is a vital part of our national housing system.
“We believe everyone deserves not just a roof over their head, but a home that’s safe, stable and meets their needs and desires – and we’re proud to be providing homes for people living with a learning disability at Hornbeam Close.
“Supported housing offers a lifeline to thousands of people – from older residents and care leavers to people living with physical or mental health needs. It provides more than just a place to live, it offers the foundation for wellbeing, independence and stability.
“We work closely with care and support partners to make sure our customers get the support they need – whether that’s care, health, wellbeing services or advice to access employment and training.”
The new service is the result of a collaborative effort between Milestones Trust, LiveWest and South Gloucestershire Council, who awarded Milestones Trust the contract to provide support.
The three organisations have worked in partnership to deliver a service that prioritises the comfort and wellbeing of those living there.
Will Oborne, Director of Business Development at Milestones Trust, said: “This new development in Bradley Stoke is a great example of strong partnership working to deliver an empowering new supported living environment. We’re excited to see the positive impact it will have on the lives of the lucky few who will call it home.”
Councillor John O’Neill, Cabinet Member for Adults and Homes at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “I’m delighted to see the completion of this 100 per cent affordable housing scheme, which provides purpose-built supported housing for people with learning difficulties and autism, and general needs housing for social rent.
“We are focussed on delivering secure, affordable and supported housing here in South Gloucestershire, and this development makes excellent use of former council land to do just that. It is a fantastic example of how the council can collaborate with partners to help meet local housing need and I wish the residents much happiness in their fantastic new homes.”
LiveWest invested more than £5.6m into the development in an area of high housing need and partnered with the Harper Group to build the homes.
The project has been grant supported by Homes England, the country’s national housing and regeneration agency. The project has benefitted from £2.3m of grant from Homes England.
Gareth Phipps-Williams, Assistant Director of Affordable Housing Programme Management at Homes England, said: “As the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, increasing the supply of quality affordable homes remains one of our key objectives and we are committed to supporting stakeholders of all sizes to achieve their goals.
“Hornbeam is a great example of what can be accomplished through partnership. Through the Affordable Housing Programme, we’re proud to support housing associations like LiveWest who share our ambition to providing affordable housing to those in need.”
All of the homes are energy efficient with enhanced building fabrics, air source heat pumps and photovoltaic solar panels.
The Energy Certificate Performance (EPC) of the homes ranges from 86 to 98, with an average score of 91.
Gareth Jones, our Development Director, said: “This project reflects our commitment to providing high-quality, person-centred housing that supports people to live fulfilling lives in their own communities.
“We’re building more than just houses - we’re creating homes for life, where people feel safe, valued and empowered. This project is part of our ambition to provide more than 1,000 affordable homes in the West of England over the next five years.”