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Kirklees first on sustainable affordable housing PFI
Published: 2010-04-14 09:20:17
Kirklees Council claims its Excellent Homes for Life housing project is the first PFI scheme to conform to Code for Sustainable Homes Level Four.
The preferred bidder for the project is The Regenter Excellent Homes for Life Consortium, comprising Regenter, Wates Living Space and Pinnacle Housing.
Excellent Homes for Life Housing includes about 140 new "extra care" homes for older people, in three schemes, and around 360 one- and two-bed homes for small households, some specifically designed for wheelchair users. The new homes will be built on up to 30 sites across Kirklees, in West Yorkshire.
Jim Saunders, managing director of Regenter, a joint venture between John Laing and Pinnacle Regeneration Group, said: "The delivery of much needed, new, high quality 'general needs' homes, combined with new state of the art extra care accommodation, will meet diverse needs and improve the lives of local people across Kirklees."
The project is part of a wider strategy to provide affordable homes for people on lower incomes, as part of the Government's Private Finance Initiative, and the council is working closely with the Homes and Communities Agency.
Extra care housing offers tenants the privacy and independence of their own home with a flexible provision of care based on their assessed needs. Ten of these homes will be specifically for older people with dementia.
Kirklees Council intends the homes to meet government standards including Lifetime Homes, Secured by Design and Code for Sustainable Homes and will include renewable energy provision – possibly incorporating solar panels.
Wates Living Space will build the homes over 27 months. All services including housing management services, neighbourhood management, grounds maintenance, caretaking and cleaning, responsive repairs and maintenance and lifecycle, will be delivered by Pinnacle Housing.
Councillor Pandor, cabinet member responsible for strategic housing at Kirklees Council, said: "Everyone understands that there is a growing demand for affordable housing in the current economic climate. This project represents a big step in delivering the council's goals for affordable housing."
Financial close is scheduled for the end of 2010 once all planning applications are approved. Regenter will retain 80% of the consortium and Wates PFI Investments the remaining 20%.
More information: www.regenter.com