Case Study 1 - Supporting the delivery of town centre living

Outcomes met:

  • A high quality of life in Letchworth for all residents.

  • Isolation in Letchworth is reduced, particularly for older people.

David Ames, Executive Director, Stewardship & Development

Providing homes remains a national and local priority. Our housing strategy sets out our commitment to supporting the development of a range of high-quality homes to help support the local economy and meet local need. While our current housing portfolio is modest, the North Hertfordshire Local Plan has given us the opportunity to help make a significant contribution to the provision of housing in Letchworth. We have been able to do this by bringing forward land under our ownership and supporting opportunities on land that we control.

In 2020 we facilitated the creation of more homes with our partners by helping to bring forward brownfield sites, mainly in the town centre, for planning and development offering a mix of housing tenures. These were sites that are owned by the Foundation or have covenants in place requiring our approval.

The provision of additional homes in the town centre is part of our strategy to help support its vibrancy and vitality. Homes in the town centre use brownfield sites and support local businesses and services. They also promote the use of sustainable travel by having easy access to public transport links and many employment opportunities.

We were also delighted to work with First Garden Cities Homes on a joint planning application for the redevelopment of our former offices at Foundation House on Icknield Way, to create predominantly affordable and shared ownership housing.

"Through our long-standing partnership, we aim to make sure that local people in housing need can access these stylish new apartments, including a high proportion of homes for affordable rent and shared ownership." - John Welch, Chief Executive, First Garden Cities Homes