Kilnfields

This project, valued at £14 million on completion, involved the development of 86 new build homes, divided between open-market sales, shared ownership and affordable housing.

Location: Haslemere, Surrey

Client: Waverley Borough Council

Project value on completion: £14 million

Project status: Complete

Into the 21st century

When Waverley Borough Council looked into refurbishing a 1930s estate well past its best, its investigations revealed that the refurbishment needed was so extensive that the costs would be similar to new build. After some preliminary planning work, Lovell worked with the Council and other partners to produce a site layout and to economically engineer the mixed-tenure scheme.

There were some important conditions. Everything had to be built on the existing site so a phased demolition and decanting exercise had to take place. Residents were to be moved only once. There were also some owner-occupiers within the site who would need careful consideration and attention.

Lovell built 86 homes, comprising one and two bedroom flats, two and three bedroom houses and two bedroom bungalows. Two three bedroom homes were built to the Ecohomes Excellent standard, and all homes were designed for optimum energy efficiency and sustainability. Every home was built to the same high standards. That is not to say that all the homes were identical because residents had a huge say in how their homes were finished. There were long consultation periods and one-to-one design meetings. Nor was this just a listening exercise - residents - suggestions were incorporated into plans and their specific needs met. For example, if an older resident needed a shower rather than a bath, that's what they got; where disabled residents needed a different design to meet their specific requirements, Lovell made sure it happened.

Not just houses

This project was about far more than bricks and mortar - it was about rebuilding a community. Lovell also redeveloped a playing field and built a new community centre.

The community centre has become an invaluable resource for the community; it is used for toddlers, playgroups, support groups for young mums, after-school club, karate, judo, fitness classes, and the police hold community meetings there. The playing field is used both casually by residents and by a local junior football team for homes games. These facilities have helped generate community spirit and bring new life to the area.

To further cement the community's involvement in the development, local labour has been used wherever possible, and Lovell has also invested in several local young people, enrolling them on to the company's Apprenticeship Scheme.