Plymouth Community Homes delivers more homes in North Prospect for social rent

Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) has transformed the former North Prospect Library site located at Greatlands Place in Ford to deliver eight energy-efficient homes for social rent in partnership with Plymouth City Council and Homes England.

The eight new homes, consisting of one- and two-bedroom apartments have been built by local contractor Classic Builders South West Ltd on one of the last small infill sites in North Prospect thanks to funding from Homes England’s Affordable Homes Programme (nearly £780,000), £80,000 from the Council’s Eco Homes Fund and £60,000 from the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF).

The former Council owned library was demolished by the Council in 2012 utilising BLRF funding at the start of the North Prospect regeneration which also saw the demolition of almost 800 homes in a poor condition over the following years.

The £130million regeneration of North Prospect included the creation of The Beacon Community Hub in the heart of the neighbourhood which includes a new library, making the original library obsolete and the perfect opportunity to create new affordable homes for local residents.

The new development forms part of the Council’s Plan for Homes Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 5,000 new low carbon homes in the city over the next five years, utilising effective partnerships for delivery.

The energy-efficient apartments are equipped with air source heat pumps, triple glazing and PV panels, generating electricity for each apartment with reduced running costs. Located externally are electric vehicle charging points and cycle storage to encourage active travel.

The ground floor apartments feature private gardens and have been built to M4(2) accessibility standards to meet the needs of residents with differing needs, while the first-floor flats have private amenity spaces and drying areas to the ends of the rear gardens accessed by external paths.

An ecological diverse planted area along Wolseley Road with both retained and newly planted trees has been established to offer connectivity for wildlife, create an improved habitat and a wildlife buffer for the adjacent properties. The site also hosts bat boxes, bird boxes and bee bricks to encourage and enhance ecology and biodiversity.

Nick Jackson, Executive Director of Business Services and Development at Plymouth Community Homes, said: “These eight wonderful new energy efficient homes have been built on a site that had been vacant for many years and are in-keeping with the homes in the surrounding area. They are an excellent addition of much-needed affordable housing for the residents of Plymouth.  

“We remain committed to working with our partners at Plymouth City Council and Homes England to deliver more homes as we look to achieve our mission of ensuring there is a high-quality affordable home for everyone.”

Claire Baldry, Senior Project Manager at Plymouth Community Homes, said: “Plymouth Community Homes is proud to be delivering more energy efficient homes in the city, in collaboration with Plymouth City Council, Homes England, Classic Builders and local consultants.

“It has been a pleasure working with Classic Builders on this exciting project on the former library site in North Prospect to build new high-quality homes, which have been thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of our tenants.

“We are delighted to see the space transformed to enhance the community and it was great to meet with the contractors, local Councillors and the Housing Delivery Team on site to showcase the new homes before the first residents move in.”

Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Cooperative Development, said: “I’m so pleased to see these modern, high-quality new homes now ready to be occupied by families in need of affordable housing on the site of what was once a tired, disused Council building.

“This project has been the first to benefit from our Eco Homes Fund and I’m really impressed with the quality of the build, particularly how well they are insulated to reduce running costs for residents and environmental impacts. Also in respect to the way the units are powered through solar and heated through air source heat pumps.

“In the midst of this housing crisis, it is partnerships like the one between PCH and the Council that can make the difference for so many people and I look forward to replicating it on more schemes across the city.”

Mayling Blackburn, Senior Growth Manager at Homes England, said: “As the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, increasing the supply of quality affordable homes remains one of our key objectives and we are committed to supporting ambitious housebuilders of all sizes to build those homes and communities.

“This investment through the Affordable Homes Programme does just that, enabling Plymouth Community Homes to build 8 much needed new homes the people of Plymouth can be proud of.”

Chris Herron, Contracts Manager at Classic Builders Ltd, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Plymouth Community Homes with the construction of these new properties. 

“Plymouth is a special place for us, it’s our own city, a large proportion of our staff live nearby, and we’re deeply committed to supporting the area’s long-term social and economic prospects.

“By working with PCH we’re able to assist in addressing the area’s housing needs and, more importantly, play our part in creating safe and secure homes for local families.

“We’d like to wish all the new residents many happy years in their new homes, and wish to thank our dedicated supply chain for assisting us in delivering another exceptional project for a valued repeat customer.”

PCH has previously worked with Classic Builders on the Briar Tor development in Yelverton and to deliver refurbishments on our existing housing stock, including in Alcester Close in Stoke partnership with Plymouth City Council.

The homes will be prioritised to those with a local connection to the area to meet the specific needs of the community, which has been made possible thanks to the support from Plymouth City Council and will be available from Summer 2025.

All available homes to rent in Devon are advertised on Devon Home Choice, a partnership of local social landlords. To bid for a property or to be considered for a tenancy, registration will need to be completed using their online application form.

Photo caption: Shane Jeffery, Senior Quantity Surveyor at Classic Builders, Nick Jackson, Executive Director of Business Services & Development at PCH, Claire Baldry, Senior Project Manager at PCH, Andrew Lawrie, Head of Development & Housing Sales at PCH and Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Cooperative Development at Plymouth City Council (left – right).