News / Housing
800 new Lockleaze homes to address ‘critical need’
Boarded-up sites where homes once stood starkly portray what has been branded “a decade of neglect” in Lockleaze.
But a multi-million pound housing scheme is being hailed a chance to turn things around and show people in the area that they Bristol City Council does care about them.
The £178m Lockleaze Estate Regeneration will see 800 new homes built in the area – of which 265 would be affordable.
is needed now More than ever
Councillors say the new homes will help a long-neglected area
Speaking at City Hall on Tuesday, Paul Smith, the cabinet member for housing, slammed the years of dereliction that he says causes the fabric of communities to fall apart, and has also cost the council 10 years in lost council tax revenue.
“The finger has been pointed by the Prime Minister at developers for their land banking and lack of ability to take forward schemes,” he said.
“In Lockleaze, there are a large number of significant boarded-up sites where houses used to be and, whilst we can point fingers at developers, we actually have to look at our own record as well.
“There has been a decade of dereliction in the area where housing has been demolished and never replaced.
“That dereliction undermines community – there are fewer people using the shops, and making use of the schools and community services. That’s when we start to see the fabric of communities fall apart.
Paul Smith says Bristol cannot afford to have such dereliction in any of its wards
“We have also been part of the problem maybe not by land banking, but land ignoring and failing to take things forward.
“For the council, that’s a decade of lost council tax. We have made cuts where we wouldn’t have needed to make cuts.”
The £178m investment is expected to help boost the local economy
The development will be divided between five packages of land, with the 130-homes at Crome Road, Constable Road and Herkomer Close set to appear before the planning department imminently.
Funding for the scheme is expected to come mainly from the private sector as well as central government grants.
Estella Tincknell says this is a chance to show the people of Lockleaze that they are cared about
Labour councillors for Lockleaze, Estella Tincknell and Gill Kirk said in a joint statement: “Lockleaze is a community that has suffered more than most follwing the austerity policies of the current government and neglect from previous council administrations.
“The plan to build 800 homes in Lockleaze will begin to address the increasingly critical housing need within the ward and across the city.”
Tincknell told cabinet members: “we are pleased to see the council finally be investing in Lockleaze after 10 years of neglect.
“Brownfield sites will be the first to be developed. They are terribly neglected and I think they say to the people of Lockleaze we don’t care. Hopefully this decision will now tell them that we do care.”
Kate Wilson is the local democracy reporter for Bristol.
Read more: Council incentivising developers to increase affordable homes in Bristol
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