Date published: 2025-01-30 | Category: Delivering for local residents, Housing, Regeneration and Development
The construction of 18 new affordable homes for social rent that will be owned directly by Bath & North East Somerset Council is under way.
The properties at the Argyle Works site in Lower Bristol Road, Bath and Danes Lane, Keynsham, are being delivered in partnership with Aequus Construction Limited (ACL) the council’s wholly-owned development company.
The Argyle Works site, formerly a council Highways maintenance depot, is being developed to provide eight affordable, energy efficient apartments, three of which will be set aside for young people. The site in Danes Lane, that was previously used for informal parking, is being developed to provide six one-bed properties and four two-bed properties.
Both developments are part of the B&NES Homes programme, which is using existing council properties and surplus land to deliver affordable homes for residents. The initial £12m programme has already delivered a range of accommodation, including supported housing and temporary accommodation.
The apartments on both sites will be owned directly by Bath & North East Somerset Council, to help meet the demand for social housing in the area and will be secured in perpetuity as 100% affordable housing for general needs social rented housing.
Councillor Kevin Guy, Council Leader, said: “After decades of underdevelopment in the national housing sector, B&NES Council is playing its part to tackle the affordable housing crisis. It was great to see how we are making the most of smaller sites such as these, both of which had been ignored historically because they posed challenges. This administration is working tirelessly to find and develop every possible brownfield site, no matter how small, so that we can provide multiple-use accommodation. We are making good progress on our commitment to provide the affordable homes that are so badly needed in our area. Our B&NES Home programme currently comprises 66 units in operation, with a further 48 units under construction or due to start construction within the next 12-18 months.”
Sally Higham, Aequus chair, added: “Visiting both schemes in their different stages provided a good opportunity to understand how we are overcoming the constraints on each plot in order to develop much-needed properties. Both when finished will be energy efficient and therefore more affordable to run for residents. I look forward to returning when they are completed.”
The finished apartments will be available through Homesearch, the council’s housing allocation scheme for social rent homes and low-cost home ownership in B&NES. Three of the units at Argyle Works will be set aside for young people.
More information on affordable housing can also be found on the council website.
ENDS
Photo 1 caption: left to right: Councillor Kevin Guy and Sally Higham at the Argyle Works site.
Photo 2 caption: left to right: Sally Higham and Councillor Kevin Guyat the site in Danes Lane, Keynsham.