Torus’ Post

100th in an occasional series of interesting doors, 11 Finch Drive, Great Bentley. This is the door I was taken through when my parents brought me home from the maternity ward. The most important door in the world is the one that starts you off in life. It is not beautiful. It looks very much like all the other houses on the estate. It was built on a field. However, it was (and still is for the current occupiers) a safe and secure home for my family to live in, and for my sister and I to grow up in. The house was part of two large housing estates which had been built in the village in the late 1960s/early 1970s and transformed the previously small village with its Listed Buildings, Conservation Area and village green into a much busier place. Jump forward 40 (or so) years - the last 5 years has seen the village grown considerably again with both planned and speculative development bringing new homes (and supporting infrastructure) to the village. This has caused some angst to existing residents, but has provided a range of new bungalows, houses and flats for new families to live in and brought more people to join the clubs and societies and use the Doctors, school, train and shops and be part of the community. As we prepare our planning applications, or consider them when submitted, remember that one of the key roles of planning is to ensure a safe and secure home for all set within a thriving economic and natural environment. Never forget: ·        1.3 million households on waiting lists ·        151,000 children in temporary accommodation ·        £2.3 billion spent on temporary accommodation Never forget how lucky you are.

Garden Town Director, Naisha Polaine, has welcomed the news that both Harlow Council and Epping Forest District Council have adopted cross-boundary master planning guidance for over 3000 homes in East of #Harlow. One of four neighbourhoods proposed for the Garden Town, East of Harlow will feature 2600 homes on Harlow Council land and 750 across Epping Forest in addition to a 14ha health and wellbeing campus plus supporting infrastructure. The adoption of the East of Harlow Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), led by the Tanusha Waters (née Naidoo) team at Harlow Council, gives it material planning consideration status, meaning future site developers will have to follow the guidance around placemaking and building quality homes in order to secure planning permission. “We’re delighted that the East of Harlow SPD has been approved by our council partners as it embeds our vision of well-designed homes and creating a brand new sustainable community that will give the residents there a great quality of life in the future,” commented Naisha. “The East of Harlow SPD is a huge piece of work for the Garden Town project because it negates future risks like a piecemeal development that isn't held together by a cohesive masterplan or designs that don’t tie in with our wider principles around quality placemaking.” With local residents and stakeholder groups inputting into the SPD last year, East of Harlow is set to incorporate a wide range of community facilities, including nursery/pre-school facilities plus two new primary schools and a secondary school alongside the 3350 homes. “We realise that new communities like East of Harlow can make people feel nervous because it brings a level of uncertainty and change and that’s something we recognise,” said Naisha. “But there’s so much to be excited about around East of Harlow and the other Garden Town communities proposed for Gilston, Water Lane and Latton Priory. “The SPD has allowed us to prioritise the things that people are passionate about like safeguarding landscape features and the importance of green wedges, part of Harlow’s existing character, and a key Sustainable Transport Corridor to improve accessibility to cycling, walking and bus services.”   The East of Harlow Supplementary Planning Document can be viewed via the link below. https://lnkd.in/eUQMtq2C #planning #infrastructure #environment #transport #sustainable #community #schools #education #masterplan

As we step into the New Year, Treveth is delighted to share an update on the ongoing works at St Anthony Gardens. These improvements are now well underway, and we’re on track to complete them by mid-to-late Spring 2025. Here’s what’s happening in the gardens: 👍 Retaining most of the original walls and relocating the iconic archway to a more accessible spot ✅ Introducing British Standard-compliant access routes for all users 🌊 Enhancing seating and enjoyment of views across both bays 👥 Creating event spaces and lawns for community activities and wellbeing 🎳 Adding two boules courts 🌷 Revitalising planting to increase biodiversity ⛲️ Reinstating the existing fountain for it to be fully operational Once the gardens are complete, we’ll begin the next phase of the project—transforming the former Taylor’s Garage site at Coinagehall Street into a vibrant mixed-use development of homes and business spaces. After working closely with the local community to gather feedback and amend proposals, this regeneration will include: 🏡 36 new homes: 11 affordable homes (including shared ownership) 16 open market rental homes for locals 9 open market sale homes (restricted to prevent holiday lets) 🏢 7 business spaces to support local enterprises. 🌱 The works on the gardens and surrounding public spaces have been supported by Future High Street Funding, and in line with Treveth’s ethos, the development will feature low-carbon technologies to reduce running costs for residents and businesses. We’ll keep you updated on progress throughout the year. #Treveth #Regeneration #Penzance #CommunityFirst #SustainableLiving

Transforming Stretford: Aamer Shah's Ambitious Plan to Convert a Home into a 10-Bedroom HMO. More details on hmoreporter.co.uk - In a significant development for the housing landscape in Stretford, Aamer Shah has submitted an ambitious planning application to Trafford Council, aiming to convert an existing two-bedroom semi-detached house on Barton Road into a 10-bedroom house of multiple occupation (HMO). This proposal seeks to respond to the growing demand for affordable housing options while addressing concerns from local residents about potential disturbances and community impact. Shah's extensive plans involve designing a three-storey living space that includes various communal amenities, highlights of sustainable transport access, and proactive measures to foster a safe living environment.

Transforming Stretford: Aamer Shah's Ambitious Plan to Convert a Home into a 10-Bedroom HMO. More details on https://lnkd.in/eUpSvJyC - In a significant development for the housing landscape in Stretford, Aamer Shah has submitted an ambitious planning application to Trafford Council, aiming to convert an existing two-bedroom semi-detached house on Barton Road into a 10-bedroom house of multiple occupation (HMO). This proposal seeks to respond to the growing demand for affordable housing options while addressing concerns from local residents about potential disturbances and community impact. Shah's extensive plans involve designing a three-storey living space that includes various communal amenities, highlights of sustainable transport access, and proactive measures to foster a safe living environment.

𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗭𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 September 2022 saw the launch of Lentor Modern by GuocoLand; an integrated development that boasted direct access to Lentor MRT station on the recently inaugurated Thomson-East Coast Line. The project features a 𝟭𝟮,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘀𝗾𝗳𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁, 𝗮 𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘀𝗾𝗳𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟱𝟳 𝗙&𝗕-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀. The addition of a supermarket and shops was a welcome development, bringing much-needed convenience to long-time residents in the Lentor and Teacher’s Estate vicinity. After nearly 12 years of limited new supply in the area, pent-up demand had reached its peak. Many anticipated that this project would be the turning point, and they were proven right. On its launch day, 84% of the 605 units at Lentor Modern were sold, with one- and two-bedroom units snapped up at an average of $2,106 PSF. The allure of living in an integrated development within a private, enclosed enclave proved irresistible to buyers, who confidently broke the $2,000 PSF barrier for properties in the Outside Central Region (OCR). The story of the Lentor Hills Township is far from over. It continues to be a prime destination for buyers and investors, as it may well be the last brand-new private township of its kind to be developed. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮. 𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙇𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜, 𝙂𝙪𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙎𝘾 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙇𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙁𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙮 2025. 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮—𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜!

It's OFFICIAL!!! ✅ Estes Park Housing Authority will transform the Fall River Village resort into workforce housing. The acquisition aims to bring 100 units of much-needed affordable housing to local workers. A recent 2023 study showed a shortage of over 1,000 units in the Estes Valley. This project is one of a kind and funded through the Lodging Tax Extension, leveraging a hybrid approach that combines public and private funding—a growing trend in affordable housing development. This collaborative strategy could serve as a model for other communities facing similar challenges. The conversion elevates the use of former vacation lodging into workforce housing, offering rental options for low to moderate-income residents. With housing costs skyrocketing 200% since 2010 in Estes Park, initiatives like these become crucial for ensuring that local workers have access to affordable dwellings. However, this conversion may also tighten the rental market, potentially leading to increased rents, which underlines the complexity of the housing market dynamics. 🏠 What are your thoughts on this innovative housing solution? Could similar conversions be the key to solving housing crises elsewhere? #EstesPark #HousingCrisis #WorkforceHousing #AffordableLiving #RealEstateInnovation

I've reposted this is an example of the way the internationally award-winning Lifemark organisation (https://lnkd.in/eSDactnn) proactively work with a range of stakeholders to incorporate universal design features in homes (https://lnkd.in/eKgJ7dNB). In this case local councils. They also work with designers and builders (https://lnkd.in/eJzuxQ5d) Lifemark have rated 2,682 homes in the last three years (https://lnkd.in/eSDactnn) compared to the Australian equivalent (Liveable Housing Australia) with zero. The Kiwi approach is to make this information publicly available, as widely as possible, and as cheaply as possible. Lifemark is run by a disability advocacy organisation. LHA approach (https://lnkd.in/eT63hTh5) is to expect public to pay for advice to consultants. It's marketed to architects (amongst others) as a revenue stream. Which clearly, doesn't work. LHA is owned and run by building industry interests (HIA and MBA) - , who incidentally, are campaigning against adoption of NCC 2022 accessible housing The Lifemark approach, needs to be adopted here in Australia if we going to improve the way we do mainstream housing, disability housing generally, and encourage and publicise best practice SDA.

If you're at UKREiiF, go and check out our panel. Should be an interesting debate! #placecapitalgroup #ukreiff #estaterenewal #regeneration #neweraofregeneration #socialhousing #affordablehousing #placemaking #placeshaping

Why do Elders move out of the community? It's often not because they want to, but because of reasons like housing opportunities and proximity to healthcare services. In a $20 million initiative, the Aroland First Nation is investing in its first Elders Lodge. The Elder Lodge's building design is planned to provide comfort and independence. Each of the 20 units will have its washroom, kitchen, and living area. The rest of the building will feature a shared common area, dining room, fitness room, craft room, nursing station, and kitchen space. The Aroland First Nation is a remote community. However, creating infrastructure, such as the Elders Lodge, enables members to stay connected and close to come as they age in place. Taking care of the older generations is an important community value in First Nations. A recent GDC project focused on the needs of Elders; the GDC building in Prince Rupert recently had renovations to make the seniors centre more accessible for those who use it. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/g9ryx4sF