pch north prospect regeneration news - spring 2015

North ProspectRegeneration News

make it happen

Spring 2015

Winners of the PCH

Pentathlon0

Regeneration Latest

Page 4

The Beacon: What’s On

Page 6

Cookworthy Spring Clean

Page 7

North Prospect in Bloom

Page 10

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North Prospect Regeneration Newsplymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk

Welcome

InsideSchool Days/Abercrombie Awards

Regeneration Programme Update

Cookworthy Green Spring Clean

New Museum/Shared Ownersip

The Beacon

PCH Pentathlon/In Bloom

Fun Assembly

Contact Us9

10

11

12

6 9 10

Here’s the latest edition of the North Prospect newsletter. Inside you’ll find details of what’s been happening in the neighbourhood, including the opening of a new café and shop in The Beacon, the latest on regeneration and refurbishment and news about new building developments in and around the area.

There’s an introduction to two new team members who will be working with you and you may see around in North Prospect, Director of Business Services and Development Nick Jackson and Development Officer Claire Newcombe.

Find out about the fun we’ve been having working with the children of Mayflower Community Academy (Mayflower School) during our anniversary week and check out what’s been going on at The Beacon. With activities for all ages, there’s sure to be something for you and your family.

Hope Woods/Big Book Event


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PCH Pentathlon/In Bloom

Fun Assembly

Contact Us

Abercrombie Awards

School days are the best of my life, says PCH’s Sally

For PCH, the regeneration of North Prospect is not just about the bricksand mortar and building andrefurbishment of homes; it’s also about the strengthening of the community.

At the heart of that community, and the bedrock of its future is Mayflower School where the next generation are being educated with skills for life. As such, we were delighted to be asked if we would like to put someone forward for the board of governors. Sally Foden, Senior HR Business Partner, stepped up and a year later she says it’s the best thing she has ever done.

She said: “It wasn’t something I ever thought of doing and I wondered what I could bring, not being an academic or an expert in education, but I love it.

“I started off just doing a meeting a month, but now I’m in nearly every week. I attend the Full Governors’ meetings and am on the Safeguarding and Communities committees as well as often helping out with interviewingwhen there are vacancies for new staff. Sometimes I have to dash away from work to attend meetings and it might feel like the last thing you want to do at the end of a long working day, but as soon as I get to Mayflower I am re energised and have a new lease of life.

Picture shows Sally at the PCH Pentathlon, story page 11

“I’m just a real fan of the school now. There is a real passion and drive to do the best for the children of North Prospect and if I can in any way help to get the best outcomes for the children, that is great. There’s a real spirit of embracing the family too and that can only be for the good.

“As governors we are there to monitor the school, make sure it is achieving and getting the best for and out of the children and to work with and support the head to do a good job for them.

“I certainly like what I see. The children are wonderfully polite as a rule and the school manage and support a range of needs across the pupils. What I like most is that the children feel it is ‘their’ school. They have a wonderfully proud sense of ownership which gives them an added pride in their neighbourhood.”

There is a real passion

and drive to do the best for the

children of North Prospect

Not everyone would enjoy going back to school after a day’s work but for PCH’s Sally Foden it’s one of the highlights of her job.

The work in North Prospect was honoured in the Abercrombie Awards for Plymouth architecture 2014, being awarded highly commended in the Best New Housing Development section.

The awards, which have a large public input, are a celebration of planning and design excellence within Plymouth and a thank you to everyone who supported us.

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Phase 3We are continuing to rehouse residents in Phase 3 and we intend to start on site with demolition early in 2016 after submitting planning permission this summer. Phase 3 will see a total of 112 new homes being built.

The Phase 3 part of the North Prospect regeneration programme was launched last autumn when the public were invited into The Beacon to look at the proposed plans of the Wordsworth Road and Wordsworth Crescent area.

It was an opportunity for residents to talk to the architects and with regeneration staff about the layout and design of the area and we were pleased to see so many visitors coming to have a look over the two days. Thanks to those people who completed our feedback forms.

We’ve been quite busy since we last spoke to you about the programme. One of the highlights has been making a series of short information films about various aspects of the new homes that we are building. We made the films before Christmas and you can find them on the PCH website. Among subjects we covered were heating controls, utility meters, advice on avoiding condensation and mould as well as a film promoting the new shared ownership homes for sale.

Phase 2You probably know that the handover of new homes in Phase 2 has been delayed in recent months but we would like to assure you that we will have completed all of the homes in the first part of Phase 2 by the end of the summer.

We have started on the second part of Phase 2 which will see another 67 affordable homes in Ash Grove and the bottom part of Grassendale Avenue built by the end of March 2017.

North Prospect Regeneration

Phase 3 will see a total

of 112 new homes being

built

James Savage - Programme

Manager has the latest about

the Regeneration Programme...


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The information will be fed into the planning process; which means when we ask a house builder to create the new estate they will take on board your comments. You’ll then have played a part in shaping the next phase of North Prospect and your involvement is something that is really important to us.

There was a variety of comments from parking to trees and more. It’s not too late to let us know your thoughts or look at the plans. The display boards are available to look at in the Atrium at The Beacon. If you would like to get more involved with the planning process please contact Jo Maddick, Regeneration Officer, on 01752 388263.

In February we completed the tender process for Phase 3 and Kier Living will be the development partner to take the project forward.

Infill 3/Laurel RoadWe told you in our last update about how we intended to develop this site. We are pleased to let you know we now have planning permission to build three houses. They will all be for rent: one two-bed and two three-bed. More details on page 9.

DorloncosIf you have one of the steel framed houses, you will know that we have been considering various options. We now have an ‘approved disposal pathway’ which means that in the first case our tenants in Dorloncos can, if they wish, exercise their right to buy. If they decide not to and they move out we will offer the attached homeowner the opportunity to buy it.

If the attached owner decides not to buy it they will be offered to a contractor who will carry out structural repairs before selling them. If a contractor does not want it, we will put them up for sale while making clear they will need a substantial amount of repair work.

We are continuing for our plans for two small infill sites, one in Allenby Road and one in Goodwin Crescent where we aim to build a total of 12 new homes for rent.

It’s not too late to let us know your thoughts

Wordsworth Road

The Crescent

Refurbishment updateThe majority of homes needing refurbishment in North Prospect have now been completed, having had external wallinsulation, new kitchens and new bathrooms.

We have one year’s work left to go and over the next 12 months we will work on 76 properties. That will bring the number ofrefurbished homes up toapproximately 300.

Residents continue to be very satisfied with the quality of the work that we do with over 90 % of them saying they are satisfied with the improvements.

During 2015 Mi-Space will be working on houses in Beacon Park Road, Halcyon Road, Dingle Road, North Prospect Road and Greatlands Place.

Over 90% of residents are satisfied with the quality of

the work

In February we completed

the tender process for Phase 3 and Kier

Living will be the development partner

to take the project forward

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The Beacon gets a café, a Costcutter and more clubs

Lark Children’s CentreOpposite the Sure Start Shop is the Lark Children’s Centre which has been open in The Beacon since August 2013 and was the first tenant in the new building.

LibraryPlymouth City Council moved the North Prospect library into The Beacon in February 2014 and has now been open for over a year. The library is proving to be very popular with a big increase in new members. The free to use computers are proving to be extremely popular and there are regular activites each week.

All ages using The BeaconThe Beacon is getting more and more popular, being used for a whole range of activities from one-off employment events to regular Tai Chi and dance classes.

The Beacon Youth Club is run by Plymouth City Council. Every Friday between 3:30 and 5:30 young people aged between 11 and 16 can come and take part in activities including arts and crafts and sports.

The Beacon Garden Project is growing with monthly workshops where residents have been planting bulbs, soil testing, weeding and garden design. Tess Wilmot from Changing Spirals is leading the project. For more info contact her on 07531 506 481 or [email protected]

We’re also working to arrange events to bring the community together. We’ve already held a Halloween party, gardening workshops and consultations to find out what you want in the area around the Beacon – look out for details of future events on the Events page of our website or on posters in the area.

OfficesThree out of the four offices are now let at The Beacon with Plymouth Community Healthcare occupying two offices and Plymouth City Council occupying the third office. The final office has just been fitted out and is currently being advertised to let. Anyone interested should contact Phil Burgoyne Beacon Manager on 01752 388315 or 07584490465.

Community Spring Fair at the Beacon on Saturday April 18 11am-3pm, in response to iOrchestra and celebrating MusicLab. Make musical instruments, create sounds from nature with the Friends of Ham Woods, try dance and drumming. Table top sale, refreshments and craft activities in the library. More info or to get involved: Jo Maddick 01752 388263.

CostcutterBy the time you read this the new Costcutter should be open after the planned grand ceremony.

The Beacon CaféThe Beacon café is let and is due to open its doors from May 1, where customers will be able to pop in for a coffee whilst useing the building’s free wifi. Breakfasts will be served Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 11am and a healthy home cooked hot meal option will be available daily at lunch time along with paninis, sandwiches and jacket potatoes. Jayne Plant who will run the café said: “I am really excited to open my new café in The Beacon. It is a wonderful opportunity for me and I look forward to meeting the community.”

Sure Start ShopThe Sure Start shop has relocated from its previous premises at North Prospect Road and has officially moved in to the purpose built premises at The Beacon. The shop acts as a “one stop shop” where families can contact a number of family support services, as well as local councillors’ drop In surgeries and a midwife clinic (appointment only).Those based in the shop include a Development Worker, Family Advice Worker, Parent Training & Employment Advisor, Parent Link Workers and Money Advice & Welfare Benefit.

Over the last few months The Beacon hosted:• A 5-year anniversary poetry event• Two play scrap workshops• Four Beacon garden workshops• 48 coffee mornings • 24 Church services• Two Christmas Events• Halloween Party• Employment event• Dog Chipping Event


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Cookworthy Green gets its Spring CleanGood news for the children of North Prospect, the new look Cookworthy Green will be ready for May complete with brand new play equipment.

BEFORE

AFTER

An opening ceremony is

planned once all work is completed

Mondays 11am-1pm Time Bank Community Hall 2pm-4pm Friendship Club Meeting Room 1

Tuesday

Wednesday 11am-1pm Time Bank Community Hall 2pm-3pm Tai Chi Community Hall

Thursday 1:30pm-3:30pm Thursday Club Meeting Room 1 4:30pm-8:30pm Karate Community Hall 4:30pm-8:30pm Slimming World Meeting Room 1

Friday 3:30pm – 5:30pm Youth Club Community Hall

Saturday

Sunday 5:30pm – 7pm Halcyon Methodist Church Service

Community Rooms and Meeting spacesAs well as the lettable space there are a number of spaces available to hire on an hourly or daily basis. There are also regular activities running in these spaces including:

If you want to find out about holding an event at the Beacon, whether it’s a

weekly club or a one-off event, contact Phil Burgoyne

on 01752 388315.

We’ve consulted with you to find out what you’d like in the open area at the end of Cookworthy Road and £160,000 is being spent to improve it, including reshaping the landscape and providing areas for different activities.

You told us you’d like new play equipment for the children, different types of play area and voted on what you’d like included. The under-8s play space will be fenced to provide a safe dog-free area and there will be informal seating and viewing areas with additional seating for accompanying adults.

PCH worked closely with builders Barratts who provided details of different equipment and combinations, giving three different options for the over 8’s park and the under 8’s park.

There was a pop up consultation outside Mayflower School one afternoon and plans were also given to the Lark nursery for children and parents to look at. PLY2 Timebank and the Beacon Youth Club were also asked about their preferred choices.

Work is under way with the rainwater attenuation tanks. This is to provide sustainable drainage, collecting rainwater and releasing it slowly – better for the environment and taking pressure off the sewage system.

An opening ceremony is planned once all work is completed so watch this space or keep an eye out for posters in The Beacon.

Regeneration Officer Jo Maddick said: “Children will be the main service users so it was great to get their thoughts and for them to visualise what their new play area will look like. We’d like to say thanks to the children of North Prospect for their patience while the new park is being completed. We plan to open next month (May), well in time for the summer holidays.”


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Looking back at the neighbourhood with new museum

While most of North Prospect is looking to the future a corner of Cookworthy Road is to stay rooted in the past.

The team includes Cllr Tina Touhy and husband Ray, Donna Hewart, Plymouth City Council Neighbourhood Warden and Johnathan Blyth (pictured), Jake McPherson and Tim Mills from Fotonow.

Tina said: “The project is being run for GAS, which was set up in 2003. There was a project called Swilly at War for young people to find out about North Prospect in WWII through talking to older people. “When the Regeneration started, we thought there would be no archaeology left, so we started a project to remember North Prospect through memories and record what it’s like to live through the regeneration.

PCH have handed over 42 Cookworthy Road to the North Prospect community project GAS (Group for Arts in Swilly) as a temporary museum of social history.

Inside the house the group hope to transform the kitchen into a café and recreate a 1940s/50s living room interior and also catalogue pictures and artefacts to show. The garden is also to have a wartime theme with a Dig For Victory vegetable garden – North Prospect gardens were big to encourage residents to grow their own food and a recreated Anderson bomb shelter. The team hope to be open in time for the Plymouth History Festival in May.

“Volunteers will be needed. This is community history, a community project, a community museum. The more who join in, the better. We want former residents to share their memories of their time here.”

The latest on shared ownershipSO Living, part of Plymouth Community Homes is celebrating the success of reserving all shared ownership properties on phase 2.1a of the PL2 development, North Prospect.

In October 2014, SO Living opened their doors to dozens of potential buyers at the launch of our first ever Shared Ownership show home.

The event lead to reservations on the last two properties on phase 2.1a, along with a list of people eager to reserve plots on future phases and developments.

We are planning another open day in April to promote the next PL2 phase and our new development, Hope Woods.

The team are now busy promoting campaigns and events to bring you the latest information about homes available on existing and future developments.

Look out for...• Property of the month incentives • SO Living events

Coming soon: Hope Woods is a small picturesque site off Ham Drive which is being redeveloped by housing developer Kier. The site will include 17 homes for rent and five homes to purchase on a shared ownership basis. The two and three-bedroom homes will be ready in the summer and available to purchase off plan soon. For more see next page.

Homes availableSO Living are offering 2 and 3 bedroom homes for sale on a shared ownership basis. All homes feature a kitchen/dining room, lounge, family bathroom, downstairs WC, enclosed garden and private parking.

The properties also benefit from double glazing, gas central heating, vinyl floor in kitchen and bathroom, oven and hob with cooker hood and solar panels on the roof.

Where can I find more details?Call us on 0800 07 8748Email us at: sales@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.ukwww.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk

You can also find information at:www.rightmove.co.ukww.helptobuysw.org.uk


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Hope Woods PCH Chief Executive Clive Turner said: “As Plymouth’s largest social housing provider it is critical that we are now working to provide new homes for the next generation of Plymouth.”

This Spring will see the beginning ofwork on North Prospect’s tiniestbuilding site, the demolition of the neighbourhood’s two ‘mystery houses’.

The semi-detached homes at the end of Laurel Road proved a surprise to PCH’s contracted surveyors as they discovered they were not made of bricks and mortar but of steel plates bolted together.

The inspectors were mystified and said they had never come across houses built this way in the UK before.

No one knows where these propertiescame from but the thought is that theywere a part of a gift from Allied countries after the war to heavily bombed British cities – they used to be next door to a couple of timber homes that were a present from Scandinavia.

If you know the history of 16-18 Laurel Road contact [email protected] or call 01752 389786

Councillor and long time North Prospect resident Tina Tuohy remembered. “The houses were pretty awful. The chap who lived there told me it was really noisy and he could have conversations with his neighbour through the walls. I remember the wooden houses too, but they rotted and were pulled down.”

The steel properties are to be replaced with three good quality modern houses.

David Sammels, Headteacher at Mayflower School said: “We jumped at the chance to be involved in PCH’s 5th Anniversary as we opened at about the same time. There is a real buzz around the area because of the regeneration and events like this make a link between education and housing.”

Karen Grannum, PCH Head of Strategic Procurement who organised the event, said: “Reading and writing are so critical. Those skills help the children talk about what’s important to them and express their feelings”.

Children from Mayflower School joined PCH staff and Plymouth’s poet laureate, Mike Sullivan at The Beacon for a morning of poetry and crafts. The event was part of a week of events marking our 5th Anniversary and gave the children an opportunity to explore what makes where they live special to them.

The children first heard poems from Mike thenwrote their own poems on the subject of home and community and read them to their classmates. Afterwards they could take a book home.

The Big Book Event

The event was part of a

week of events marking our 5th

Anniversary

Laurel Road

We’ve started work on a new housing project on the edge of the North Prospect Regeneration as the first stage of our ambition to build homes for the people of the city.

The £2.25m scheme, which goes by the name of Hope Woods, will be made up of 12 rented flats and houses and five shared ownership houses on the site of the old community centre on Ham Drive. Working with Plymouth City Council, we’re aiming to help ease the housing crisis in the city without building on a green field site.

Councillor Tudor Evans, Managing Director of Kier Living John Titcombe, PCH Chief Executive Clive Turner, Councillor

Tina Tuohy and Alison Seabeck MP at the Ham Drive development

The new homes will be built by developers Kier to the same high standard as the other new homes in the area.


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Mayflower children the victors at PCH PentathlonMayflower School in North Prospect was the setting for a sporting pentathlon as part of PCH’s fifth anniversary celebration week with 24 children from schools across Plymouth competing in five events for the chance to win £500 for their school.

Teams of six Year 5 children from Mayflower School, Whitleigh Primary School, High Street Primary School and Torbridge Primary school took part in indoor and outdoor events including relay hurdles, welly and Frisbee throwing, shooting hoops and an obstacle course.

After the team from Mayflower School were announced the victors and were awarded a gold cup by PCH Human Resources Manager Bob Wilkey, the children challenged the PCH team to do the obstacle course. Mayflower School took the £500 prize, and the runner up schools – Torbridge 2nd and High Street and Whitleigh joint 3rd - were awarded £50 to put towards sports equipment. All the children received players’ medals.

Roger Hewitt, Electrical and Specialist Equipment Manager at PCH who masterminded the event with Electrical No Access Officer Chloe Hawkes, said: “We wanted to do something in the community as part of marking our fifth birthday and we wanted to involve children in Plymouth. It was good to be able to hold it at the school at the heart of our regeneration area.”

Chloe Hawkes said: “We have tried to focus on children in our community and those who live in our homes and give them opportunities. It was great to see them growing in confidence throughout the day.”

Bob Wilkey said: “It makes me very proud to be part of PCH when you see how involved we are in the community and how directly we can affect people’s lives.”

David Sammels, headteacher of Mayflower Community Academy, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity to develop our partnership with PCH, we were delighted to be able to open our facilities to not only the local community but to other schools in the city.”

Lloyd, 10, from Mayflower School said: “It was amazing. Can we have another day like this?”

Mum Jamie Harris who was there with her daughter said: “PCH were great with the children. My mother lives in one of their houses and it’s great that PCH work hard to build the community and get people involved in events like this.”

It was great to see them growing in confidence throughout

the day.

North Prospect in Bloom

The next North Prospect in Bloom competition is due to open in May with Best Garden, Best Vegetable Patch, Best Patio Display and Best Community Project categories.

Last year’s winners of the Best Garden category were Mr and Mrs Stonehouse (pictured).

If you’ve got an interest in gardening, look out for monthly gardening workshops being held at the Beacon.


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Say Hi Say hello to Nick Jackson who has just taken over at PCH as Director of Business Services and Development.

Part of the Executive Team, Nick has been with PCH since its beginnings over five years ago, initially as Finance Director and then as Director of Business Services and Manufacturing.

He said: “I’m excited to come into this role with its important work continuing the building and refurbishment of our existing homes in North Prospect and continuing the improvements already having such a great impact on community life.’’

Our new Development Officer Claire Newcombe joined us at the beginning of the year.

She will be working with Development Manager Bob Fish and Senior Development Officer Tina Olver on PCH building projects as we expand our building work into other areas outside North Prospect.

You told us you were concerned about the amount of mud and dust on the roads. As a result, Barratts have introduced a more stringent system of street cleaning, involving a large street sweeper and a wheel washing for diggers and other construction vehicles.

There is a dry wheel wash which vehicles drive over before leaving site There is a pressure washer, which is used to wash mud off the wheels There is a road sweeper which drives around the estate for three hours every day The exit and entrance onto Wordsworth Road was closed due to feedback from residents

Street Cleaning

Children learn building sites are not playgrounds in fun assembly

Olivia Kennedy was the star turn at Mayflower School assembly, which featured a visit from PCH and builders Kier, currently building 17 affordable homes opposite the school in Ham Drive.

Kier Development Manager Sarah Walkup and Kier Site Manager Ben Stone spoke to the children about the dangers posed by playing on building sites, including scaffolding, diggers, holes and ladders.

Sarah said: “It’s great to go into schools and speak to children about such an important subject. It’s about getting the message across that it’s a building site, not a playground.”

PCH Development Officer Claire Newcombe also attended the assembly, where she launched a poster competition for pupils.

They’ve been asked to design a poster that demonstrates health and safety and the hazards on building sites.Local residents will judge it and the winners will see their poster on hoardings on the Kier site and get to visit the site. Building is due to be completed in July.

“We take health and safety very seriously, particularly around building sites. It’s great that we could show the children – in a fun way – how to stay safe when construction work is going on in their community. I’m looking forward to seeing their competition entries.” Said Claire.

We hope that this will make things easier for you but as ever, if you have problems please contact the Regeneration Team on 08000 327100

Welcome

to two new

people working

in North

Prospect

Contact NumbersIf you want to speak to us, this is how to get in touch:

North Prospect Regeneration Team: 08000 327 100 or email: [email protected]

North Prospect Housing Team: 0800 917 9499

Sales Team: 0800 0778 748 or email:[email protected]

Repairs: 0808 230 6500

Out of hours repairs: 0800 917 9459 (5pm to 7am)

Housing with Support Team: 0800 917 9452

Communities Team: 0800 917 9457

Debit/Credit Card Payment Line: 0844 557 8321

City Centre Shop: 01752 389778

pch north prospect regeneration news - spring 2015

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