A BOROUGH MP visited the Gorse Ride redevelopment site last month.
James Sunderland, whose Bracknell constituency includes Finchampstead, Crowthorne, and Wokingham Without, met with Cllr John Kaiser, the borough council’s executive member for finance and housing, to look at the new homes on Arnett Avenue.
Also in attendance were Finchampstead councillors, Cllr Simon Weeks and Cllr Rebecca Margetts, as well as residents and members of the Gorse Ride project team.
The 46 finished homes at Arnett Avenue are managed by Loddon Homes, owned by the council. They are the first phase of the council’s Gorse Ride regeneration project.
The houses and flats are a mix of shared ownership, social rented and privately owned properties.
“It was great to be able to show James Sunderland just what’s been achieved at Arnett Avenue,” said Cllr Kaiser.
“It’s a real testament to the quality of what can be achieved by working with the community and investing in the great housing they need.”
Cllr Kaiser said initial feedback about the homes has been fantastic.
“Our hope is that Arnett Avenue will help showcase the level of quality we aim to achieve across the next phases of the Gorse Ride regeneration as well as demonstrating our commitment to the community and to keeping them involved,” he added.
Steve Bowers is chair of the community steering group, lived in Gorse Ride and is now in one of the new houses on Arnett Avenue.
He said: “It was great to spend some time with James … he was very interested in what was going on in the rebuilding of this community.”
Mr Sunderland also visited Billing Avenue, Orbit Close and Firs Close, which will be included in phase two of the project.
Cllr Kaiser said: “[The homes] were never built to last this long and simply aren’t up to the rigors of modern life. While we could have made minor improvements and repairs, we simply couldn’t achieve the same fantastic quality as we can with a complete re-build.
“We’re very thankful to the community as the residents have continued to stay involved and work with us closely to get to this point.”
He said the council aims to minimise disruption as much as possible during the next demolition phase.
“I’d urge any resident with concerns to get in contact with the Gorse Ride community engagement team,” he added. “They are here to help and are very happy to answer questions and provide support.”
