Plans to build 103 new affordable homes in Southampton have been given the green light after city councillors approved funding for the project to start. The former Oaklands Community School site in Fairisle Road, Lordshill, is set to be developed into 41 flats and 63 houses.
The site will feature a mixture of council-rented and shared ownership homes, while a proportion will also be made available to residents with care needs.
It is proposed that the development’s design follows the contemporary style of the local area, including:
- Semi-detached pairs, short terraces and small blocks of two and three-storey flats.
- A mixture of roof designs.
- Parking assigned to each house/flat, plus additional guest parking across the site.
- A range of energy-efficient features, such as solar panels.
- Several areas of formal and informal play across the site.
- A cycle path will be rerouted through the development.
The new homes will contribute to Southampton City Council’s 2025 targets, which include delivering 1,000 council homes. In addition to the Oaklands site, council-owned homes were also recently delivered at Townhill Park and a further 99 are underway in Wimspon Lane, Millbrook.
Councillor Satvir Kaur, Cabinet Member for Homes and Culture, Southampton City Council, said: “Delivering more affordable, quality, council-owned homes in Southampton is one of the council’s biggest priorities. There continues to be huge demand for council housing in the city, with thousands of families still on the Housing Register, so I am pleased we are able to help address this with a robust home-building programme throughout Southampton, which includes putting the current vacant Oaklands site to good use.
“This is an important project for us and I am keen we deliver homes that Southampton people actually need. This is why there will be a variety of styles and capacities to suit different types of families, as well as properties suitable for people with disabilities.”
Following a public consultation exercise in November 2018, planning consent for the project was granted in April 2019.
Work on site is expected to begin later this year, once a contractor has been appointed, with the homes projected to be complete by 2022.
Header image is an artist impression of the Oaklands streetscene.
