Sandfields Estate Redevelopment SurreyThe existing Sandfields estate comprises a mixture of post-war houses, flats and bungalows with a combination of both privately owned and Guildford Borough Council (GBC) owned dwellings. A number of these council properties are prefabricated concrete ‘Airey’ houses which have been designated defective dwellings under the Housing Act 1985. GBC is working in partnership with Home Group, together with support from the Homes and Communities Agency, who is providing grant funding. Home Group is acquiring the land from GBC and the other private owners and will be managing or selling (depending on the tenure) the properties when complete. Following consultation with the local residents it was agreed that instead of a one-to-one replacement of the Airey Houses, the opportunity should be taken to redevelop and increase the density of the site:
The new scheme which provides 33 dwellings (31 for affordable rent and 2 for outright sale) involves demolition of 11 council-owned and 4 privately owned dwellings. Temporary relocation of existing residents allows demolition and redevelopment works. Once a phase completes, residents return, freeing up sites for the next phase and the process starts again. From the very start of the design and consultation process, the aesthetic aim was to complement the existing fabric of the village. Furthermore, as part of the regeneration ethos, the scheme embraced the Code For Sustainable Homes principles to Level 3 with two of the units achieving Level 4 (through timber frame Modern Methods of Construction, high levels of insulation and solar thermal water heating panels). This latter system has been incorporated via the Low Carbon Building Programme which is funded by the Building Research Establishment. Other ‘good practice’ factors have also been achieved with this residential project, such as Secure By Design. |
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