70 of oldest council homes could be demolished under new masterplan for Derbyshire's only city
Derby City Council's new masterplan may see 70 of the city's oldest council homes demolished for redevelopment, addressing structural issues and Decent Homes Standard compliance.
Seventy of Derby’s oldest council homes could be demolished as part of major plans to improve the area.
Derby City Council says it is working on a new “masterplan” scheme to transform the Bretton Avenue and Constable Lane area in Littleover.
Dozens of bungalows on the estate are now around 80 years old and have structural defects on their roofs. Council bosses say the homes are still structurally safe and pose no risk to residents living in them.
Most of the homes were built after the Second World War as temporary homes. The council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that they no longer meet the requirements of the Decent Homes Standard set by the government. The Decent Homes Standard sets the minimum standards for the condition of social homes.
Plans to rejuvenate the area first came to light two years ago but Derby Homes – the social housing arm of Derby City Council – are hoping to move forward with redevelopment proposals in the near future.
As the plans are at an early stage, it is not clear if the properties will be demolished or renovated but redevelopment is likely to be done in phases to suit residents’ needs.
More details of what is to be decided is likely to be announced at a future city council cabinet meeting. The council says some properties on the estate are owner occupied which must come into consideration as part of the planning process.
A spokesperson for Derby City Council said: “A number of properties on Bretton Avenue and Constable Lane have been identified for redevelopment.
“These houses were built after the Second World War as temporary dwellings, designed to last 50 years. Now more than 80 years later, 70 of these properties have been found to have structural defects on their roofs and while these properties are structurally safe and pose no risk to the residents, they no longer meet the Decent Homes standard set out by the Government.
“Working together, the council and Derby Homes are still in the planning phase and have been consulting with residents on redevelopment proposals.
“We’ve also been working closely with architects to produce a ‘masterplan’ which is spread out over a number of phases to minimise disruption to residents.
“Any redevelopment plan would take into consideration the needs of residents and further consultation will be undertaken once proposals have been developed further.”