A MAJOR social housing development at Biart Place looks set to go ahead.
Rugby Borough Council’s plans to build 100 new homes for social rent at the former tower block site have been recommended for approval by the council’s planning committee.
The new homes will comprise 60 one and two-bedroomed flats, 20 maisonettes, and 20 two, three and four-bedroomed houses.
In addition to car parking and landscaping, the planning application contains commitments to sustainable design and construction, including the installation of electric vehicle charging points, solar panels and air source heat pumps.
The homes have been designed to complement the Victorian-era housing on Clifton Road and surrounding streets.
The council’s planning committee will consider the application at its meeting today (Wednesday July 19).
The meeting marks a significant step in the council’s ambitious plans to develop the Biart Place site.
Councillors first approved plans to develop the site five years ago after structural surveys revealed both of Biart’s tower blocks – which comprised 124 one and two-bedroomed flats – were beyond economic repair and may not perform as expected in the event of a fire or explosion.
The towers, which were built in 1968, were deconstructed during lockdown.
The plans have secured a £6.8million grant from Homes England’s Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026, funding which means all of the development’s homes can be allocated for social housing.
A further £2million was awarded from the Government’s Getting Building Fund, which contributed towards the deconstruction of the tower blocks and clearance of the site.
Should planning committee approve the application, work looks set to start on site by the end of the year, with the development scheduled for completion in 2026.
