Watford Community Housing has appointed Mulalley and Co as the contractor for the delivery of an ambitious £36 million regeneration project, which will see much-needed new homes, important community facilities and green spaces developed for the Meriden estate in Watford.
The project, which will be the Watford Community Housing Group’s largest development to date, will deliver 131 homes for affordable or social rent, a 50-bed extra-care facility for older people and two homes for shared ownership. The project will also provide a new retail parade, an expanded community hub and newly-landscaped green spaces.
After many months of detailed negotiations and design work, this contract exchange signals the next significant step in a development which will increase the provision of housing in the local area and bring a new lease of life to a vital part of Watford.
As well as providing homes, this regeneration will bring wide-ranging benefits to the local community. By creating new focal points for the estate, the project will create a modern, metropolitan feel on the Meriden, which will help to improve the community for residents and ensure that it is fit for the future. Resident groups and councillors have been involved throughout the in-depth consultation process, and the valuable opinions of those who know the area best will continue to be heard once works start, through a variety of public meetings, ‘meet and greet’ sessions and ongoing discussions with Mulalley.
The project represents an investment of £36 million across four years of works, with £4.4 million funded directly from grants from Homes England. Split into two phases, the works will cover the central area of the Meriden. Phase one, predicted to conclude in spring 2020, will see the development of the retail block and the first of the new residences, including both bungalows and houses. Phase two focuses on the extra care facility, including a large hairdressing salon which will serve the whole community.
Speaking about the development, Gareth Lewis, Group Director of Partnerships for Watford Community Housing, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with Mulalley on our project to revitalise the Meriden. This partnership will provide a significant number of much-needed new homes to families in Watford, as well as regenerating one of our core community areas. This is our most ambitious development to date and we believe it will bring wide-ranging benefits to the area, including significant improvements for existing residents.”
John Moore, Operations Director for Mulalley, said: “We are thrilled to have been appointed as the constructor by Watford Community Housing to help improve and enhance the local area for the residents of the Meriden. We are looking forward to working closely with the local residents and Watford Community Housing to deliver this ambitious estate regeneration project.”
Works are predicted to start on site in early 2018.
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