Southampton City Council progresses £30 million regeneration programme with major demolition14th March 2013

Southampton City Council’s next main phase of its £30m estate regeneration programme to build 200 homes across three sites in the city comes one step closer with the demolition of a housing block in Laxton Close in Sholing and the shopping parade in Exford Avenue in Harefield. The third site in Meggeson Avenue, Townhill Park was knocked down last August.

Lovell Partnerships Limited together with First Wessex, the developers are driving forward the council’s aim is to build high quality, energy efficient homes for local families and provide vibrant local shopping facilities.

Councillor Warwick Payne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Leisure, said: “We are committed to providing a brighter future for our residents by working with them to create more affordable and private homes to meet the need of our residents across the city. With Meggeson Avenue already demolished and the start of demolition at Laxton Close and Exford Avenue, we are one step closer to improving the lives of many of our residents.”

The developments have been supported with £1.2m investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and £1.24m grant funding from the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH).

Councillor Seán Woodward, Leader of Fareham Borough Council and Chairman of the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire(PUSH), said: "PUSH sees this scheme as very important in our aim to bring about the regeneration of Southampton. The community benefit from our investment of over £1m is immense and I am delighted that PUSH has been able to help enable this important development of hundreds of new homes many of which are affordable to local people."

Bruce Voss Area Manager at the Homes and Community Agency, said: “We believe in this estate renewal project because it will make a huge impact in Southampton, with this phase bringing around 200 new homes into the city and transforming the communities in which they will be based. This has been a complex project, which has required long-running support from us, and it’s great to see real progress being made in creating more homes, jobs and better lives in Southampton.”

Southampton’s Estate Regeneration programme aims to build more good quality homes, create local jobs, improve education and people’s well being and reignite community pride.