HCA tours Bath Riverside scheme

Chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) Pat Ritchie has praised the progress being made at Bath Riverside, one of the biggest brown-field regeneration schemes in the South West.

During a tour of the site, she heard about plans for the future phases of the project, which has a capital value of more than £400million and could see 500 affordable homes delivered across the 70 acre site over the next 10 years alongside new leisure and work spaces.

The HCA has invested more than £8million in the project, which is being delivered as a partnership between Bath & North East Somerset Council, Crest Nicholson and social housing provider Somer Housing Group who are investing more than £10million in the affordable homes.

The 100 affordable homes on the first phase of the site include a mixture of two- and three-bedroom apartments as well as a number of larger family houses. This will represent 35 per cent of the total number of homes built during this first phase of development. They will form part of a comprehensive development, with infrastructure for up to 3,500 homes and new businesses which would create up to 2,000 jobs and provide a significant economic boost for the area.

“This is an important project for us because we know what a big difference it can make to local people and the wider area which will benefit from the development,” said Pat Ritchie.

“It is encouraging that this scheme is progressing well and that is a tribute to the partners who have worked together and with local people to start what is a hugely exciting development for the area. I am really pleased to have been able to take the opportunity to meet the partners and see for myself how the development is progressing.”

Mike Grist, director of business development at Somer Housing Group, said: “These new affordable homes at Bath Riverside are badly needed, with the average home in the area costing nearly 13 times the average income and recent figures suggesting that rents in Bath are the highest in the South West. It is rare to be able to able to offer not just apartments but also larger family houses so close to the city centre and we wish all our new and future residents well in these new homes.”

The majority of the 100 new affordable homes will be allocated according to housing need through the council’s Homesearch scheme. The remaining 36 Somer homes will be made available to buy through the housing association’s shared ownership scheme which helps people to get a foot on the housing ladder by part-buying and part-renting their new home. All the homes will meet Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes which is a higher standard of sustainability than a traditionally built house.