Oakapple was selected ,following a competitive bidding process by Scarborough Borough Council, to work in partnership on this project. The area was blighted at the time by an unpopular Council Estate which suffered from a range of socio-economic problems and needed major investment.
Oakapple proposed radical measures, involving clearance of over half the housing, building new infrastructure, and redeveloping with a mix of homes for sale and rent, together with Community facilities. We were prepared to invest substantial sums to deliver on our promise, because we believed that we could transform the image of the area and create an environment that people would aspire to live in, bringing with it greater investment and a secure future.
The project was seen as a huge success, and Oakapple were recognised in receiving Transformation of the Year Award at the RICS Yorkshire Residential Property Awards.
Benefits from the Scheme included
- Private Sector Investment of some £40M
- 200+ homes for sale
- 80 new homes to rent
- 130 refurbished homes to rent
- New Sports facilities for the school
- Infrastructure improvements across the whole area including £1M road widening and junction improvements to the adjoining A64 trunk road
- Employment, Education and Training Initiatives, with the local school very much involved
- Full involvement of the Council and the Local Community in key decisions, with ongoing involvement through a Local Steering Group
How it Worked
Scarborough Council owned most of the land and properties involved hence hosted the competitive bids process. Sanctuary Housing Association agreed to take ownership of properties from Scarborough Council and also the newbuild homes to rent, planned as part of the scheme. The Local Community and politicians were also able to take a proactive role through establishment of a Steering Group proposed by Oakapple. The decision making process worked well.
The Homes for Sale
The development provided a wide range of house types, from affordable two bedroom apartments and houses to larger four bedroom family homes. The site is steeply sloping, which presented many challenges in both design and construction, however we were able to use this to create a more interesting, if not dramatic, environment. Our brief to the architect was to recreate an old Yorkshire fishing village with rooftops sweeping down to the "shoreline" – but which in reality was the A64 trunk road!
The development has been a huge success, with confidence returning to the area, and sustained demand from potential residents, even post the 2008 financial crisis.