The building of 42 new council homes in Portslade will soon be underway

Council contractors have started to demolish the old bowls club building behind Portslade Town Hall to make way for 42 new homes.
Council contractors have been getting the site behind Portslade Town Hall ready for the news homesCouncil contractors have been getting the site behind Portslade Town Hall ready for the news homes
Council contractors have been getting the site behind Portslade Town Hall ready for the news homes

Brighton and Hove City Council said the work to build the new council homes in Victoria Road will start later this spring. Meanwhile, a replacement sports pavilion, which will be used by Portslade Bowls Club and will also include football changing facilities, has already been built across the road at Victoria Recreation Ground

The development on the council-owned land behind Portslade Town Hall will be a mix of one, two and three-bedroom flats, including four wheelchair accessible properties and a communal garden.

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As part of the its commitment to reduce carbon emissions, the council said the homes will be highly insulated and solar panels will help to reduce electricity bills for residents.

The 42 new council homes will be built on the land behind the town hallThe 42 new council homes will be built on the land behind the town hall
The 42 new council homes will be built on the land behind the town hall

Other sustainability features will include ground source heat pumps to extract heat from the ground for heating and hot water.

The landscaped communal garden for residents will include raised planters, trees, a small orchard, seating and grass amenity space.

Councillor David Gibson, joint chair of the housing committee, said: “It is great to see work getting underway on this major new council housing project.

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“The energy efficiency measures, such as solar panels and ground source heat pumps, will benefit the environment and residents, and are a practical example of how we are working to cut emissions to become a carbon neutral city by 2030.”

Portslade Town Hall in Victoria RoadPortslade Town Hall in Victoria Road
Portslade Town Hall in Victoria Road

The council said the development was one of the largest in its New Homes for Neighbourhoods building programme and was one of a range of ways it was providing much-needed extra council homes.

Mr Gibson added: "We are delighted that, thanks to our joint housing programme, 200 additional council homes have been delivered in under two years – as many as the council achieved in the previous four years. The Victoria Road scheme is one of the ways we will continue to provide more homes over the coming years.”

Councillor Gill Williams, the opposition lead for housing, said: “Providing more homes to tackle the city’s housing crisis is a top priority.

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“This development will give a new lease of life to a council-owned site and each one of the flats will make a real difference to the residents who move into them. The scheme is also already bringing wider benefits, with improved sports facilities in Victoria Recreation Ground.”

The new sports pavilion over the road in Victoria Park is looking good.The new sports pavilion over the road in Victoria Park is looking good.
The new sports pavilion over the road in Victoria Park is looking good.

The replacement sports pavilion benefits from a short mat indoor bowls area and a new artificial bowling green, which is Bowls England compliant and will extend the playing season.

The bowls club is already seeing the positives of the new facilities, with membership more than doubled. The council is also inviting expressions of interests from local clubs interested in managing and maintaining the football changing facilities within the new pavilion and the pitches in Victoria Recreation Ground.

Providing more homes

The city council said that since April 2019, more than 200 additional council homes have been provided across the city, including:

The sports pavilion will be the new home for Portslade Bowls Club and will have football changing facilitiesThe sports pavilion will be the new home for Portslade Bowls Club and will have football changing facilities
The sports pavilion will be the new home for Portslade Bowls Club and will have football changing facilities

30 flats at Hawkridge Court in Selsfield Drive, Brighton

12 flats at Buckley Close, Hangleton.

12 homes in Kensington Street in the North Laine

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Empty or ‘hidden’ spaces in council properties have also been converted into homes in the council's Hidden Homes project, including:

3 flats at Swallow Court, Whitehawk, created by converting a former office

2 extra flats at Elwyn Jones Court seniors housing scheme in Patcham

1 extra flat at Woods House seniors housing scheme in Hove

More projects are underway, including ten new flats in a former housing office in Oxford Street which will be completed this summer.

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The council has also brought back 97 former council homes through its Home Purchase Policy scheme.

Other initiatives include the purchase of 38 flats in Hartington Road, Brighton, to provide temporary homes for people in housing need.

Plus the purchase of at least 19 homes to provide accommodation for former rough sleepers, through the Next Steps Accommodation Programme, which will be completed by the end of March.