Latest Press Releases
My North Town
It's a Knock Down Party
12th May 2011
Over 200 First Wessex residents and invited VIPs came out in style to celebrate "It's A Knock Down" event in North Town, Aldershot last Saturday. There was a fun carnival-like atmosphere with community stall holders, competitions for all ages, tunes from Garrison FM, a bouncy castle, face painters, barbecue, Jonathan the Jester and a special guest appearance from Ivor Goodsite, the Considerate Constructors Scheme cartoon character. What’s more, the rain stopped just before the start of the event and everyone stayed dry and enjoyed the show.
“It’s A Knock Down” marked the start of demolition works in Denmark Square and the beginning of the regeneration plans for over 500 homes in the area. Resident VIPs including the Chair and Vice Chair of the My North Town’s Residents’ Consultative Group Tania Elsby and Allan Ford, the longest serving resident of Alma House, Ann Taylor and two year old Danny Chapman with his aunt Sophie Jones. All posed for the official photograph with VIPs from Rushmoor Borough Council, First Wessex, the architects Kenn Scaddan Associates and the Leadbitter Group construction team. Danny and his mum lived in the ground floor apartment of the block selected for “knock down”. It was an emotional moment for his mother and she was proud that Danny could be in the official photograph.
Also there to witness the demolition was Mr Ted Turner, who in 1951 was an apprentice bricklayer for North Town and helped build the estate. He read about the event in the Aldershot News and travelled from his home town just to see it.
Residents and VIPs all cheered loudly when the picker moved into position and Cllr Keith Dibble had the honour of being photographed in it. Then the dramatic countdown to zero happened and the machine tore a huge section out of the side wall. The crowd watched in amazement and then it was back to the community fun.
Cllr Keith Dibble, ward councillor for North Town said:
“This is a great day for the North Town Estate and the wider North Town community. Along with my fellow North Town ward councillor's Frank Rust and Sue Dibble we fully support the My North Town Project which will transform the quality of life for many residents. However today is also filled with mixed emotions as local people see their homes of many years being demolished. North Town has very bright future and the My North Town Project is critical in developing our community. .A good community is built on the strength of the people that live there, and North Town is a great community with good people. The My North Town Project is about people and their homes, not bricks and mortar. We must never forget that."
First Wessex Chair of North Hants Local Management Board, Donald Mcgregor
“I am glad to see so many residents here today and representatives from Rushmoor Borough Council. It is a proud day for First Wessex and marks the commitment of our board to deliver our promises to the council and the residents of North Town. This development is a true regeneration scheme - it is not just about the new homes but about maintaining and building on the good community spirit that is already here.”
Paul Fenner, Southern Housing Manager of Leadbitter’s Southern Construction and Housing division, gave a presentation to the young people about the dangers of building sites, why builders need to wear special protective clothing and the importance of staying away from all building sites. He was ably assisted in this by Ivor Goodsite who demonstrated his own special clothing to the children.
Paul said:
“This is a marvellous day for Leadbitter and a great chance for us to meet the community here. We will be spending a lot of time together over the coming months and years, and I look forward to many more events where we can meet and celebrate the progress along the way.”
Photographs from the day’s event will shortly be posted on to My North Town website.
People can view a virtual tour of the regenerated estate on My North Town website: www.mynorthtown.net. The My North Town Enquiry Line 0800 358 0459 is still available for interested residents to call for any further information.”
ENDS
Photograph:
The Official Start of the Regeneration of My North Town
Left to right:
Tania Elsby, Hazel Warwick, Allan Ford, Cllr Sue Dibble, Andrew Lloyd, Ann Taylor, Cllr Keith Dibble, Sophie Jones with Danny Chapman, Ivor Goodsite, Peter Walters, Kenn Scaddan, Donald Mcgregor and Paul Fenner
For My North Town media enquiries please contact:
Ursula Tavender, PR and Communications Executive at First Wessex
Tel: 023 9289 6759
Mobile: 07776 226598
Email: Ursula.tavender@firstwessex.org
Notes to Editors
My North Town renewal project is the proposed £100 million redevelopment and regeneration scheme of First Wessex within the North Town estate of Aldershot. It also includes a number of commercial premises and leasehold properties.
There are approximately 500 homes in the area and the majority are occupied by First Wessex residents. My North Town’s aim is to strengthen the existing community and provide buildings suitable for the next generation – comfortable, economical, eco-friendly homes in a mix of housing styles with courtyard communities and gardens. The project wants to build on the existing sense of community already felt in North Town. My North Town will be a safer, more attractive environment better suited to the needs of all sections of the community.
The project funding is available from three sources: grants from the Government’s Homes & Communities Agency (HCA); private sector finance and from First Wessex ’s own resources. The funding will enable complete replacement of the existing 500 homes, with the potential to develop a further 200 homes in future phases as long as planning permission can be obtained.
All of the current homes for rent will be replaced with new homes with affordable rents and all current First Wessex residents who wish to remain on the new development will be able to do so. The new development will also offer homes for shared ownership. It is hoped that any later phases will provide a proportion of private ownership homes.
The project will transform the estate over a period of seven years and will involve new building to replace the existing blocks of flats and retail units. The My North Town Renewal Project’s long term aim is to produce a greater mix of housing, both more variety of sizes of homes including more houses with gardens and different types of ownership such as, general needs renting, shared ownership and private ownership. All the homes will be built to the latest modern design and environmental standards.
As part of the regeneration proposals First Wessex aims to improve the existing shops as well as provide a brand new and much improved North Town Base community facility. The plans include the provision of additional small shop units to benefit to the local community and help to stimulate and regenerate the shopping facilities on North Lane.
The North Town Base will be a significantly enlarged and improved community facility with dedicated meeting space, rooms for clubs and societies, office and administration as well as the storage in a modern and up-to-date building for a number of users and groups to utilise the facilities at the same time.
The new Base and for the shops in North Lane will be in the later phases of the project which will not commence until after 2013. Nearer the time, First Wessex will ensure there are temporary arrangements to enable community groups using the base to continue with minimal inconvenience.
In addition to the public events First Wessex has met with every affected resident and has produced the following leaflets for residents and community groups:
· General Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
· Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for First Wessex residents
· Having to Move? A leaflet that explains what home loss and disturbance payments will be paid to affected residents.
· A series of My North Town Newsletters
All of these leaflets can be downloaded from the website www.mynorthtown.net Or requested by calling the FREEPHONE number 0800 358 0459
The Design Team (Architects, Kenn Scaddan Associates; Planning Consultants, Gregory Gray Associates and Consultant Engineers, Upton McGougan) has involved all residents and community groups.
At the events residents, the wider community and community groups of North Town met with all concerned to help shape the future of this important renewal area. Following this, the MasterPlan for the estate was produced and forms the basis of a planning application on 17 July 2009.
First Wessex was formed in 2005. In 2010 the various organisations comprising the First Wessex Group, including Pavilion Housing Association, were fused into one organisation, first Wessex. The combined housing association now manages around 17000 affordable homes primarily in Hampshire and with some activity in Surrey. It has recently completed a public consultation of a similar size project and has demonstrated it skills in the area of regeneration. First Wessex is the largest provider of housing association homes for rent in the Aldershot, Farnborough, Ash and Farnham areas.
In partnership with Rushmoor Borough Council, First Wessex has the financial support, the planning, development and community consultation expertise to make this important renewal project a success – one to benefit the residents and community of North Town now and one that is sustainable for future generations.
For more information visit www.firstwessex.org
Rushmoor Borough Council has worked for many years for many years in partnership with First Wessex (formerly Pavilion Housing Association), following the large scale voluntary transfer of the housing stock in 1995. First Wessex is a preferred development partner with the Council and has delivered many affordable homes for rent and shared ownership with funding from the local authority and the Homes and Communities Agency. The Council has worked jointly with First Wessex and the local community on successful community development projects and works closely with the housing management team to ensure that their residents receive a good quality service from their landlord.
Kenn Scaddan Associatesbased in Portsmouth is the appointed architect for the scheme and has worked with First Wessex for many years on a wide variety of housing and mixed-use schemes.
The practice has been in existence for 25 years specialising in social housing and has developed an expertise in Urban Regeneration such as the My North Town project together with a significant number of commissions in the Health and Special Needs sectors.
Gregory Gray Associates, Farnborough-basedTown Planning Associates has led urban renewal and affordable housing projects on behalf of public authorities and Housing Associations. The practice is working with the Architect and Rushmoor Borough Council Planning and Housing Departments to develop this important regeneration project. The Practice will be responsible for the coordination and submission of the planning application and assistance on the community consultation.
Upton McGougan, Highways and Drainage Consultants will advise on technical design and engineering details including working with the Highways Authorities, Thames and South East Water Authorities and the Environment Agency.
The Leadbitter Group has four operating regions in the UK:
· South West and Wales Region, based in Bristol, Cardiff and Plymouth
· Central Region, based in Oxford and Coventry
· Southern Region based in Southampton
· Eastern Region based in Sittingbourne and London
With operations divided into two businesses, construction and affordable housing, Company turnover approaches £400 million per annum. The Company’s substantial expertise across all building sectors, combined with its proven leadership in the areas of corporate social responsibility, community engagement and environmental preservation, makes the Leadbitter Group a construction partner of choice. For more information, please visit http://www.leadbitter.co.uk.
