Background on Exeter Diocese (Plymouth) developments
Denomination: Church of England
Type: New build
Completion dates: 2005 – continuing
Affordability
‘The average Plymouth income is £23K yet the average house price is £168K –
a house price ratio almost 8 times average income – a ratio that is set to
increase to 12:1 by 2020. Not only is this an issue for those currently on, or
seeking to join, the housing ladder, but it also presents a challenge for the
future: Plymouth is a new growth point and will see an increase to its
population by 50,000 or over by 2026’ (Linda Gilroy, MP for Plymouth Sutton,
2008).
Plymouth’s Post War City Plan 1944
Large areas of the city of Plymouth were destroyed in World War II. The post
war council's new Reconstruction Committee appointed Sir Patrick
Abercrombie to work with the City Engineer, Mr Paton Watson, to design a
new city. The planners believed that Plymouth should be decentralised. Their
vision was of a series of communities with their own churches, community
centres, libraries, schools and shops, each surrounded by a belt of green land,
in place of the congested central city. So a radical new plan for Plymouth was
published in 1944 comprising a decentralised city with self-sufficient outlying
estates around a small city centre.
The 21st century legacy of this post war development in Plymouth is a surplus
of large churches, some redundant, some in various states of disrepair with
high maintenance costs and falling congregations. In 2001, The former Bishop
of Plymouth, The Right Reverend John Garton and his team identified a
number of communities in the city where church buildings had become
unsuitable for modern needs. They wanted to release this excess land as part
of the community regeneration in the city, for local housing need and to build
contemporary places of worship and community centres.
The Partnership
“The Church of England wanted to engage with the community, so they
offered Sarsen Housing Association these development opportunities in
exchange for new, contemporary and flexible places of worship incorporating
community centres to create a heart for the local area. In some cases local
Church covenants had to be given up. But with the aid of regular planning
meetings with Plymouth City Council and the Diocese of Exeter the whole
process was achieved in a very joined up way with all partners working
together to create a series of successful affordable housing schemes for the
City of Plymouth.”
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David Luke, Devon & Cornwall Director, Aster Group.
A series of informal meetings took place between The Diocese of Exeter,
Plymouth City Council and Sarsen Housing Association to develop a plan to
demolish or redevelop four of the old churches in the city, to provide homes
and modern places of worship for the citizens of Plymouth.
Over a period of time these meetings built up a relationship of trust between
the three parties and subsequently led to the formation of a successful
partnership where each partner plays a unique role in the project process.
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The church brings the land to the table and paves the way with the local
communities and their congregations for the new developments.
Sarsen Housing Association (Aster Group) organises the design and
funding for the developments and sorts out any necessary legal
processes.
Plymouth City Council deals with any covenant and planning issues. The
Council has also granted funded some of the schemes.
“The Plymouth project came about after careful discussion between the
Diocese of Exeter, Plymouth City Council and Sarsen Housing Association. This
has developed into a partnership that has brought many benefits. Plymouth
City Council has been assisted in meeting its social housing targets, Sarsen
Housing Association has been able to provide a variety of homes for the people
of Plymouth, along with a new Library and Doctor’s Surgery and the Church
has been able to provide new comfortable, fit for purpose churches which
meet the needs for worship and community engagement in the 21 st Century.
We look forward to continuing this successful partnership.”
Tony Wilde, Arch Deacon of Plymouth
To date the partnership has undertaken four developments within the city of
Plymouth. These are
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St Barnabas Court Extra Care Scheme in Stoke
St. Paul’s Extra Care Scheme in Efford
St. Michael’s affordable housing development for general needs in
Devonport
St. Chad’s affordable housing development in Whitleigh
These schemes will provide 152 new homes for the people of Plymouth. A
wide range of accommodation has been built or is planned to be built on this
land ranging from extra care housing for the frail and elderly through to
affordable family homes.
In all these developments both the residents and people living in the wider
communities will benefit from new, modern places of worship and other
community facilities including the first new Library to be built in Plymouth for
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fifteen years, a Doctor’s surgery and a new link road.
PARTNERING CHARTER
Vision
The Team will produce, useable, affordable and deliverable solutions for suitable former
Church sites to meet the needs of stakeholders
Values
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Objectives
The process will be mutually beneficial
Trust and openness
Accountability without blame
Shared responsibility with roles defined by
the Team
Appropriate risk allocation
Recognition of the value that each team
member brings
Everyone signs up to the Charter
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To develop a number of former Church sites
for social housing purposes
Home to be decent and sustainable
Solution to be affordable
Solution to be deliverable in terms of
timescale, cost and quality
Learn and improve with each scheme
Schemes to enhance the reputation of the
team members
Inclusive communication
Deliverables
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Consult with all stakeholders
Secure appropriate level of funding
To ensure equitable contracts to enable
delivery of fair and reasonable profits to all
parties
Improve on KPIs each scheme
Nil defects on all schemes
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Achieve key milestones within the
development programme
To realise vision with budget
Egan compliance
No notifiable accidents/incidents on site
Appropriate distribution of ‘savings’
obtained through value engineering
Airey and Cole
Church of England
Gates Partnership
Kier Western
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Plymouth City Council
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Sarsen Housing Association
Steen Mitchell
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