Affordable housing specialist AJC Group has been awarded top marks from the Considerate Constructors Scheme for its affordable housing development on Lindsay Road, in the affluent coastal district of Branksome Park, Poole.
The £15m development is being delivered in conjunction with Abri, one of the largest housing providers in the south of England. The site is currently under construction with homes available for occupation from July 2024. Once complete, it will provide 44 much-needed new affordable homes for the area.
Inspectors from the Considerate Constructors Scheme recently visited to review and score the site’s approach to and handling of employee wellbeing, the local environment and respecting the local community. The site team were commended on their approach to community engagement with local charities and schools, along with their appropriate attention to detail to reduce the impact on the local community with ecology and habitat gain initiatives.
The first phase of the Lindsay Road scheme comprises 28 two-bedroom apartments which will be available to purchase via shared ownership. Meanwhile, the second phase which is simultaneously also under construction will comprise 16 one- and two-bedroom apartments which will be available for affordable rent. The collection of new homes are split across three striking three-storey residential buildings.
Ben Peddie, construction director at AJC Group said: “We pride ourselves on exemplary site safety, engaging with the communities where we build, and ensuring our colleagues are supported and safe while at work. Achieving a high overall score from Considerate Constructors after a recent high site health and safety score is brilliant. This is all testament to the hard work and dedication of the Lindsay Road team. While construction continues to progress, we will be creating an extensive hibernaculum on site in time for the autumn and winter hibernation for insects and small animals, and this will remain a feature on the development once complete.
“We’re thrilled to be progressing with our construction programme on schedule. We were pleased to have secured planning permission for the second phase in April, and we are now constructing both phases simultaneously. This enables us to complete the full scheme as quickly as possible to provide much-needed affordable housing for Branksome Park and the wider area.”
Lindsay Road is located within the Branksome Park and Chine Conservation Area. The brownfield site redevelopment will provide local people with an affordable route to home ownership or rent. The location also puts it within the Poole Sustainable Transport Corridor. There are bus stops on Lindsay Road and Penn Hill Avenue, and Branksome train station is less than half a mile away. The development will include residents’ car parking and a cycle store to accommodate up to 32 bicycles, promoting sustainable travel. It is close to the local centres at Penn Hill Avenue and Poole Road, and just under a mile from Parkstone District Centre, which features a diverse range of food stores, shops, services, and public transport facilities.
David Cracklen, Director of AJC Group, adds: “It’s brilliant to see how quickly work is progressing on our Lindsay Road site. We know there is a huge shortage of affordable homes in the area. Not only do these 44 homes mark another step towards fulfilling our pledge to build 500 affordable homes in the next five years, but we are the only developer to bring forward affordable housing in the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council area in the past three years. This is why it’s so important for us to progress with construction at this efficient pace to meet the needs of local people, who may be struggling to get a foothold on the property ladder.
“Being able to do this on a construction site that has been well commended by the Considerate Constructors Scheme is a great achievement for every one of our colleagues. We have worked hard as a team hard to maintain progress, whilst ensuring safety remains paramount. We’ve also paid very close attention to interaction with our human and animal neighbours. We all look forward to welcoming occupiers to their new homes next summer.”
Five additional sites are currently under construction by AJC Group, including a regeneration development at Dorchester Brewery and a rural village development in Okeford Fitzpaine, Dorset. Live projects on The Sloop, and Herbert Avenue, are located in Poole, while The Sonnet apartment scheme is in Bournemouth. AJC Group is on track to deliver over 200 mixed-tenure homes during 2023, reflecting a total construction value in excess of £100m. The firm has become one of the most active residential development specialists across the Wessex region.