Following resident consultation last year, we’ve been reshaping proposals for a new community hub and more than 200 council homes on a number of underused sites in Moulsecoomb.
The plans are to develop a new community building and the new homes on land currently used by the Moulsecoomb north and south hubs and the 67 Centre and the surrounding area.
The aim is for the new community building to improve the services and facilities available for residents of Moulsecoomb and Bevendean.
Bringing services together into a new purpose-built centre also frees up a number of sites to build around 230 much-needed new homes.
You can see details of how the proposals are developing, along with the next stages, on our new Moulsecoomb housing and community hub webpages.
Talking to the community
We’ve been discussing the proposals with local residents and community groups over the past couple of years.
In early 2020, we held a series of ‘planning for real’ sessions, which used a 3D model of the neighbourhood to give residents a hands-on way to have their say on the best way of providing what’s needed.
More than 200 residents attended and gave constructive and positive feedback on what they’d like to see and potential concerns they have at the planning for real sessions.
Feedback from the sessions has helped shape the development of the proposals.
Views given included the facilities and activities residents would like to see in the hub, the type of housing, transport and the public realm.
Services and facilities that could be located in the hub include a GP Surgery, Moulsecoomb Library, adult learning and a community café.
Proposals also include new centre for youth services within the hub, with a separate entrance.
Original proposals to have the community hub on land next to the Moulsecoomb Community Leisure Centre were changed following feedback from the sessions about the importance of the visibility and accessibility of the hub.
The proposals now have the community building in the heart of the wider development.
Whole life carbon assessment
A ‘Carbon Review’ consultant has been appointed to work with our architect’s team on the developing design to look at the whole life carbon impact of the scheme.
This work will ensure carbon reduction sits at the heart of the scheme’s design to make sure its carbon impact is as low as possible, both through construction and ongoing impact of the new buildings.
The carbon review will look at proposed scheme details including:
- the existing structures, materials and flora on the existing site and their potential for reuse either within the scheme or the potential for recycling
- the proposed scheme layout and new infrastructure
- the overall design approach of the new structures proposed for the site, efficiency of form, wall to floor ratio, and construction methodology
- use of materials and recycled content
- the durability, flexibility and adaptability of the proposals
- the life cycle aspects of the elements of the scheme, including overall building life expectancy
- the potential for post-use recycling
The review will feed in to the detailed design process to make sure an ambitious but feasible low carbon scheme is presented at the planning application stage, in line with the city’s wider carbon reduction ambitions.
Next stages
Proposals to transfer land to the council’s housing revenue account and relocate services were agreed by Housing Committee on 29 April 2020 and Policy & Resources committee on 30 April 2020.
The business case for the proposals was also agreed by the Policy & Resources committee.
We’re aiming to get the initial planning applications submitted in autumn this year and work to begin on site in summer 2022.
