A grant of £1.25m funded by other developments in the district will also be made to Mosaic to help move the current tenants, demolish and rebuild the estate.
Royal Court's blocks were built in the 1960s forming part of the King Edward estate in Laindon and have been subject to detailed consideration since a recommendation to redevelop the site was made in 2006.
The blocks have suffered social and vandalism problems. The fabric of the buildings has deteriorated to the extent that though it would be possible to bring them up to a decent standard, the costs would be prohibitive.
Residents were consulted and endorsed the view that the 96 flats and council owned shop should be demolished and replaced with new flats, shop and a community centre.
The plan seeks to replace the blocks with 127 new homes. A bid has been made by the Council to the Housing Corporation for funds to carry through the preferred scheme. The outcome of the bid will determine what proportion of the new homes will be for rent or sale.
Meanwhile, current tenants and owners are being consulted on their individual re-housing needs and voluntary sale of their properties.
Councillor Tony Ball, the council’s deputy leader and responsible for housing strategy, said: “We have been working hard behind the scenes for some time to finalise the plans for this complex piece of regeneration.
“We hope that this scheme will not only rid the district of buildings which have a poor reputation and been hard to let for almost thirty years, but also replace them with a modern, energy efficient development, new facilities for residents, and more open space.
“All of this will regenerate the area and turn what has been a depressing environment for some into a pleasant and comfortable place where people will want to live and one which meets the aspirations of our residents.”
No comments:
Post a Comment