Council to explore plans for 180 affordable homes in Hereford

Cabinet members agreed today (December 17) to spend up to £68,000 on consultants to work up outline proposals for a net zero carbon affordable housing scheme on four sites off Station Approach.

Council leaders have recently committed to delivering 2,500 new affordable homes in the next ten years.

Housing, regulatory services, and community safety cabinet member Ange Tyler said Engie Regeneration had recently completed a masterplan review of the council owned sites in the Station Approach area of the city.

“During this review it has been identified that the council could deliver affordable housing and amenity space on these sites,” she said.

She said around 180 homes could be built depending on the final type and style they go for.

“The site also provides the opportunity of communal development including intergenerational facilities.”

Consultants will consider the possibility of building homes on sites 1b, 1c, 2a and 2b

Coun Tyler said the review has looked at the impact on car parking, environment and local services.

“So what Engie will do now is asses the deliverability of the site.

“We will recommend to council a number of options available in terms of density of the development, type of use and size of individual units and other partners who may be interested in supporting the council as well as a commercial review and viability assessment to identify the optimum mix of tenures that can be developed on these areas.”

She said the council can retain control of what is built to ensure that all their environmental objectives can be met.

True Independents group leader Bob Matthews, who supports the scheme, raised concerns over the cost.

“We all know that Merton Meadow and all around there, even after £30m was spent on flood alleviation scheme in Credenhill, still flooded very badly on two occasions since.

“Obviously, there is going to be a tremendous cost to deal with that issue.

“Has that particular issue been considered?”

Conservative leader Jonathan Lester said his group has always supported the provision of affordable housing but had concerns over the council delivering them.

“We would support the need to develop these sites because that was the whole master plan we delivered in the first place.

“That was the reason for constructing the road to enable the infrastructure to develop the medical centre, the student centre and lots more homes in a very central area.”

Coun Tyler said they would look at the sites again to consider if there were any flooding risk or value for money concerns.

“We will look at appropriate sites and how we can alleviate that further.”

Engie consultants said all of the flood risks will be explored as part of their feasibility study.