The story so far
The first part of our work took place between February and July 2021. We engaged with residents in Gaer who might be affected by any future work we carry out to understand how they felt about their home and community.
We took this feedback on board and developed a very early draft of what our future work could look like. We used these early plans to engage with the community in-depth and understand their views on the three options we have been considering:
Option one: Take no action
One of our options was to not take any action. This means that we would not carry out any additional work in Gaer outside of our normal planned maintenance schedule.
Option two: Refurbishment
Our second option was to focus on extensive refurbishment of existing properties. This would mean that existing NCH residents would need to move from their property in order for this work to be carried out.
Option three: Building new homes
This option explores demolishing existing homes and building new ones to benefit local residents and the wider community.
What addresses did we look at?
Below is a full list of addresses we’re looking at in Gaer.
Fortlea 1-12 (all properties)
7 – 14 Kipling Hill (all properties)
75 – 145 Dickens Drive (odd numbers only)
75 – 85 Gaer Road (odd numbers only)
115 – 137 Shakespeare Crescent
What option are we taking forward?
In looking at the options, we considered:
- The results from the surveys we carried out, to highlight any issues which may need to be looked at
- The options available, including the benefits and challenges this may present to the community and the potential costs
- The views of the community and consultation responses from residents
Thank you to everyone who has been in touch to share your views, and to all those who responded to our non-statutory consultation.
Information for Fort Lea, Shakespeare Crescent and Gaer Road residents
At this time we will not be taking any immediate action on any homes in Fort Lea, Shakespeare Crescent and Gaer Road.
This means that the option we are taking forward is option one (take no action). Our ongoing repairs and maintenance programme will continue as normal, and we have written to all affected residents to inform them of this outcome.
We may review this decision again in the future.
Our commitment to sustainability means we may also carry out further investment work in the future to improve the energy efficiency of these homes to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce energy bills for our customers. If we do, we will write to all affected residents.
If you are an NCH tenant, we will continue to carry out required repairs and health and safety checks as a responsible landlord. If you are a leaseholder, we will continue to look after the external envelope of the building.
We truly appreciate the feedback received by the community during our work. If you have any further queries or you would like to speak to us directly, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Information for Dickens Drive and Kipling Hill residents
Having considered all of the available information, we believe that the opportunity to regenerate Dickens Drive and Kipling Hill and build new homes may offer the best long-term solution for the local community.
This means that the option we are taking forward for Dickens Drive and Kipling Hill is option three (building new homes). We have written to all affected residents to inform them of this outcome.
What happens now?
We expect to start working up our proposals for Dickens Drive and Kipling Hill further in Spring/Summer 2022. This means that there is no immediate impact on your home.
We understand that you may be concerned about what this will mean for you and your home. As part of working up our proposals in more detail we would carry out a significant amount of community engagement and working closely with affected residents
If you are an NCH tenant, as part of our work we will talk to you in detail to understand your individual circumstances and any concerns you may have. We will also talk you through any re-housing process, taking into account your needs and preferences. You will have plenty of notice of any changes.
If you are a leaseholder, there is no immediate impact on your property. We will talk to you individually as part of our work to understand your circumstances. If we do need to consider buying your property as part of our work, we will discuss this with you and talk with you about the likely process, options and compensation.