Completion of 74 homes helps with regeneration of Lockleaze, Bristol
The regeneration of Lockleaze in Bristol moves another step closer as housing provider Abri completes 74 homes at its Shackleton Heights development.
Situated along Crome and Constable Road in the northern suburb of Bristol, the mixed tenure development has been built with Speller Metcalfe and includes 37 affordable homes. Abri has helped make 50% of the homes affordable through its own funding and with grant support from Homes England, the government’s housing delivery agency. The new homes have helped revitalise land that had been derelict for over ten years and a mix of house types have been built to help meet local housing need; these include two-, three- and four-bedroom houses and one- and two-bedroom apartments. Two bungalows have also been built which are fully wheelchair accessible and can be adapted with lower light switches and window openers.
The Lockleaze local lettings policy, developed by Bristol City Council, means that members of the existing Lockleaze community, have been given priority for the new homes for social rent.
Councillor Barry Parsons, Chair of the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee at Bristol City Council, said:
“We’re committed to delivering the housing our city needs and I am pleased to see the completion of these new homes at Shackleton Heights and Coopers Court which will make an important contribution to our plans to deliver more affordable homes across the city.
“Working in partnership is the only way we will continue to tackle the housing crisis. Together we will increase the number of well-built and affordable homes in Bristol so that many more people will have a comfortable, cheap-to-run place they can call home.
“Our local lettings policy for Lockleaze means that people within the community with a local connection who need housing have been among the first ones to move in.
“We want to ensure that local people can remain local, and the homes at Shackleton Heights are part of the wider redevelopment of Lockleaze which is seeing over 760 new homes, including affordable housing for social rent and shared ownership, being built within the area.”
Sustainability has been a focus of the new development, with features such as air source heat pumps incorporated to lower the carbon footprint of the EPC-B rated homes and reduce energy bills for residents. All the homes are fitted with electric vehicle charging points, and to help deliver biodiversity gains wildflowers have been planted in the green space. Ten built-in bird boxes including house sparrow nest boxes and four built-in bat boxes are spread across the development to provide homes for wildlife.
Sam Stone, Director of Land and Planning at Abri said:
“Urban regeneration is key to solving the challenges we face in providing more homes without encroaching on green space. These homes are a great example of how we can build good quality homes on formerly disused land with sustainable features that will help lower energy bills for customers.
“An investment on this scale requires a collaborative approach to be successful and working with Bristol City Council and our partners I’m pleased to see the finished homes looking so good. We hope this regeneration adds real value to the community and look forward to seeing Lockleaze continuing to flourish.”
Mark Eaton, Divisional Director at Speller Metcalfe added:
“We’re delighted to see the handover of these high quality, affordable and sustainable homes. In the height of both a housing and climate crisis, we know how much of an impact this development will make in Bristol and are pleased to see it successfully completed.”
Alongside Speller Metcalfe, Abri employed Emmett Russel Architects, Welling Partnership and Jubb Engineers on the scheme.