Hamer housing development wins Green Apple Award for Rochdale

Hamer housing development

Halifax Road, Hamer, development consisting of seven family homes has beaten off stiff competition from 19 other projects within the ‘Built Environment and Architectural Heritage’ category to be presented with the prestigious ‘GOLD’ Green Apple Award at the Tower of London in June 2008 by Professor David Bellamy OBE.

The Regenda Group, one of the leading Housing Associations in the North West, identified the derelict site as an opportunity for a new build housing project. The scheme of 7 three-storey homes was designed with the requirements of the local Asian population in mind, providing accommodation for six to eight people in each property with separate male and female lounges on the ground and first floor levels, two separate bathrooms, a front private area and rear gardens within curtilage car parking.

This £1.1m development reflects the long term partnership between The Regenda Group and Rochdale Council, with financial support to keep rents at an affordable level being provided by the Housing Corporation.

An essential part of the project was to improve neglected wasteland to the rear of the site which was overlooked by some twenty existing properties, and to transform it into a communal area with a new shared road, footpaths, a landscaped area, improved street lighting and designated parking spaces for existing and new residents, making the area safer and more attractive for the local community.

The International Green Apple Awards are organised every year, with separate sectors for Local Authorities, Commerce & Industry and International entries. It is one of the biggest most comprehensive environmental award schemes in the world. The event organised by The Green Organisation, was attended by almost 400 guests.

The judging panel for the Gold winning scheme for ‘Built Environment and Architectural Heritage’, said: “A derelict and trouble prone site on the outskirts of Rochdale was made the base for a small demonstration housing scheme. The seven family homes use up-to-date technology to provide high quality low running cost accommodation for up to eight residents in each.”

Allan Ramsay, Group Director of Regeneration at The Regenda Group said; “ We are delighted to win this award and to be recognised for the use of environmentally friendly design elements in this scheme. Modern methods of construction were used in the development of the site, and the homes benefit from a range of energy and water saving measures.

The development has set a standard for regeneration in the area and we hope it will become a benchmark for future developments in Rochdale.”