New homes on former youth centre land
Hislop Road in Rugeley, Staffordshire, saw eighteen affordable homes built on the site of the former Pear Tree Youth Centre. The development brought a redundant piece of land back into productive use, delivering new housing for Platform Housing Group in an established residential area of Cannock Chase.
The scheme was a partnership effort. Owl Partnerships led on land assembly and planning, taking the proposals through Cannock Chase District Council's planning committee in March 2020, while BREE Construction, then trading as Partner Construction, acted as the contractor delivering the homes for Platform Housing Group.
An affordable scheme for Platform Housing
All eighteen homes were provided as affordable housing, giving local households access to quality new homes in Rugeley. The development was completed between 2020 and 2021, and homes from the scheme have since appeared on the local resale market, evidence of a settled and successful neighbourhood.
The mix of house types suited the site and its surroundings, fitting comfortably into the existing streetscape. Subcontractors including a local fencing specialist contributed to the works, reflecting the use of regional supply chains on the eighteen-plot site.
Partnership delivery
The Hislop Road scheme illustrates how affordable housing is often delivered through several parties working in their own roles: a development partner bringing forward the land and securing consent, a contractor building the homes, and a housing association taking them into long-term management. Here, Owl Partnerships, Partner Construction and Platform Housing Group each played their part.
The result was a compact, well-located affordable development that made good use of brownfield land and added eighteen new homes to Rugeley's housing supply.
