PLANS to regenerate a former council estate in Windsor will be brought forward next year after a series of public consultations.
Housing association Abri Housing Group have announced it will shortly begin a survey programme with residents of Sawyers Close, which consists of 192 homes, to understand future housing needs.
Last year, cabinet councillors agreed to transfer open space land adjacent to the estate to Abri as the housing group looks to either refurbish or redevelop the existing 1960s apartment blocks there.
Abri have confirmed this proposal would involve demolishing the existing buildings and replace them with new homes on the estate and on the transferred land. The new homes will be for the existing tenants and others needing affordable accommodation.
Abri executive director of assets and sustainability Rose Bean said: “The details of our proposals will be shaped through consultation with our customers and the community; a final decision on whether to proceed with the regeneration will be made by our board, once the details have been finalised ahead of a planning application being submitted.”
However, this may change depending on the series of public consultation with residents, which will run for most of 2022 with each step feeding into the design and specification until a final project is agreed.
Abri hope to be able to submit a planning application in early 2023 but only happen after a full consultation has taken place.
According to Abri, 80 per cent of respondents from a previous survey said they were ‘very pleased’ to see the entire site regenerated.
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Ms Bean said: “It’s really important to Abri that we involve our customers from the very beginning, that we listen to their feedback and understand what they really need.
“Regeneration on this scale takes time so alongside the consultation, we’re continuing to invest in the homes at Sawyers Close and we will be starting work soon to upgrade the heating systems within the buildings."
Clewer and Dedworth East councillor Helen Price said: “This consultation happening now is just the first phase.
“Quite rightly, Abri is concentrating to seek views from the Sawyer Close residents, but local residents will be involved more so during the second phase.
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“If anyone wants to keep up-to-date with what’s going on, there is a website https://www.sawyersclose.com/.”
Sawyers Close residents will be contacted on the future homes survey and the wider consultation programme.
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