Great Cornard residents will get an opportunity to find out more about a planned village regeneration project before work begins in earnest over the following months.
The Poplar Road shops development, which was built in the 1970s, had became a target for vandalism, rubbish dumping and anti-social behaviour and it was decided to redevelop the entire area, in partnership with Flagship Housing Group.
The completed scheme will comprise 44 new homes for local people and will be a mix of flats and houses for social rent and intermediate rent. There will also be six new shops.
In a bid to show people what to expect from the development residents are being invited to attend an Information Day next week,
Representatives from Babergh District Council, Flagship Group and Lovell Partnerships Ltd, will be on hand on Thursday April 22nd to answer questions and talk residents through the plans. The event is being held in a marquee on the green next to the shops from 2pm until 7pm.
This is the final part of a jigsaw of major improvements to the Poplar Road area. Babergh has been busy upgrading its council-owned housing in the area, creating a Teen Zone and art works on the Shawlands Estate – for which BDC was awarded Beacon Status.
Work had been due to start by early 2008 but the project has experienced some delays. Complex legal issues has meant a start-on-site date kept being pushed back but development is due to start in the next month.
Ian Tippett, Babergh’s Strategic Housing and Economic Development Manager, said: “It is really great news that this major regeneration project for Great Cornard is about to start.
“The 44 new homes will provide much-needed affordable housing for the village and the six, new shops will revitalise the local economy and provide excellent local shopping facilities.”
The £5million development received £1.6million funding from the government’s Homes and Communities Agency and the donation of the land at 100 per cent discount from Babergh District Council.
Martin Aust, Flagship’s Strategy and Development Director said, “This development will help to address the shortage of housing in one of our village communities.
“Effective partnership working with Great Cornard Parish Council, Babergh District Council and our contractor, Lovell Partnerships Ltd, has ensured that this well-designed scheme will finally become a reality.” ENDS
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