Kendray

Kendray

Background

In 1999 a dialogue between Barnsley Council and Kendray residents began with the aim of addressing fundamental problems that were causing the neighbourhood to appear unsustainable. Through this consultation the Kendray Blueprint (2001) was developed that sought to rejuvenate the neighbourhood by:

o Redressing the imbalance of supply and demand for housing
o Improving the physical environment
o Providing a new heart for the estate, with improved local amenities
o Maximising training and employment opportunities
o Reversing the trend for outward migration
o Maximising the opportunities for community empowerment
o Providing alternative forms of tenure
The then Council Housing department and now Berneslai Homes  are responsible for the implementation of the Blueprint and significant progress has been made in transforming the area by working closely with the community and BMBC’s Neighbourhood Management Team in Kendray .

 
Where we are now

Following the demolition of 520 properties, an award winning and inclusive park for all ages has been developed in a central location, which residents have played a key role in designing and shaping.

Keepmoat Homes have redeveloped some of this demolition area with the construction of 224 new family homes and 11 elderly persons bungalows for sale, which offers a housing option that was lacking in Kendray up to this point.

Chevin Housing Association have built 40 new bungalows, 12 apartments and 3 family homes some available to rent and some for shared ownership, they have also developed the first Extra Care housing in Barnsley. Lavender Court comprising of 44 apartments and 8 bungalows offers modern accommodation and care packages for mature residents who want to maintain their independence.

In addition employment opportunities are being maximised, by contractors using local labour and supply chains, as are building for life and value for money principals.

Major improvements have been made to the main streets into and through Kendray, which was a community priority identified in the Blueprint consultations. Working in partnership with Barnsley Community Build we have, in line with our commitment to the Worklessness Agenda, offered training and employment opportunities to local people when delivering new front boundaries and off-street parking.

We are on target for all 1,100 Kendray Council properties to comply with the government’s decency standards by 2010 and by the end 2009/10 works will have been undertaken in 949 homes.

Other improvements of note that are helping to reinvigorate the estate are:

o A new Medical Centre, located at the centre of Kendray, is tackling residents poor health so contributing to the Wellbeing agenda
o A new Academy that opened in 2008 is helping to drive up educational standards
o A new Safer Neighbourhood Team Police base that has been built between Kendray & Worsbrough is addressing anti social behaviour problems in the area 
o Renovations to local amenities such as allotments, shops and public houses and  Improvements to green spaces across the neighbourhood has in addition to creating a better environment,  provided greater opportunity for educative play and is contributing to a healthier lifestyle.  
o Community safety improvements to bungalows occupied by potentially vulnerable people have reduced peoples fear of crime 

Between April 2002 and March 2009 Berneslai Homes worked in partnership with BMBC’s Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder team who were responsible for working closely with the community, through “theme groups” that are aimed at targeting issues such as housing, health, education, worklessness, crime etc that residents regard as a priority. In the post NM period Berneslai Homes have continued to support the Kendray Initiative Board and facilitate the Housing theme group that comprises local residents, elected members and service providers that work together to improve the outcome of services delivered in Kendray.

Where the money has come from

To date £100million of investment will have been levered-in to the physical regeneration of Kendray by 2012, with much of this coming from our partners  such as Keepmoat Homes, Chevin Housing Group, United Learning Trust for the Academy and SJM Developments for the Ashfield Medical Centre.
Berneslai Homes in partnership with BMBC Housing Strategy have secured additional public investment for Kendray from the Regional Housing Board. These funds have been successfully directed by Berneslai Homes on the ground in Kendray, delivering a wide range of projects such as the central park, improved front boundaries, community safety improvements and reconfiguration works to 1 bedroom bungalows. Other streams of funding that have contributed to these and related projects include: Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, Single Regeneration Budget Objective 1 and Sport England.

What’s next

As part of the final chapter to the physical regeneration of the estate, and despite the current economic difficulties, planning applications and funding have been approved to provide a further 232 new homes to four main sites and a number of infill sites across the estate.

Two of the four sites (Cypress Road & Gerald Close) that are now complete provide 60 of the 343 units built to date out of the planned 527 new homes. Cypress Road and Gerald Close comprise of 44 family houses for sale and 16 homes for rent including 12 two bed apartments. Of the outstanding 184 units work has begun to a third site, Leslie Road a mixed tenure development of 100 family homes (66 for sale, 23 for rent and 11 for shared ownership), and a number of infill sites across the estate that collectively will provide a further 22 units for rent (5 bungalows and 17 family homes) and 1 bungalow for sale. Finally we envisage Keepmoat Homes commencing work in 2011 to build 35 family homes for sale to Larch Place.  

Concrete examples of success

The successful regeneration of the Kendray estate, in terms of improved housing, environment, traffic management, community safety and community facilities, has significantly improved the quality of this formerly troubled estate. Of note are:

MORI (2006) concluded that 87% of Kendray residents are satisfied with Kendray as a place to live, this compares favourably with the 2001 base line figure 59% or the comparator Barnsley figure 81%; 68% of Kendray residents felt their area has improved since 2003 compared to 22% for the Barnsley area. The main reasons behind peoples changed views were directly attributable to the physical improvements. Action Research findings (2008) supported these figures with 86% and 83% of residents, respectively, stating housing and the environment is better now than 5 years ago.  

The population has stabilised having suffered 23% depopulation between 1999 and 2002; the number of Right to Buys has risen from 350 in 2003 to 650 today. Voids are currently 0.5% down from 14% in 2000; all property types now have healthy waiting lists, compared to nil waiting lists in 2003; and house prices have almost trebled in the last 6 years £30k to £85k. A marked change in tenure balance is occurring with owner occupation projected to rise from 20% (2000) to over 40% (2012).

Provision of a new police station, health centre, academy, park, allotments, boundary walls, gating scheme and parking coupled to our aim to design out crime, promote a healthy lifestyle, offer collaborative play facilities, exercise, training and employment opportunities has contributed to 56% of residents believing crime is less of an issue for them than 5 years ago, 79%, 83% and 44% respectively believing health services, the environment and schools are better than 5 years ago (Action Research 2008) If resident satisfaction mirrors the dramatic improved performance of students since the new Academy opened the figure of 44% will now be significantly higher.

Development partners are investing skills back into Barnsley through apprenticeships (20 places) and by using local labour and supply chains where possible. Environmental and traffic management improvements to Kendray’s major gateways and elderly persons bungalows provided construction training opportunities for local people (15 places) and addressed both traffic safety and fear of crime issues. Environmental improvements to the Central Area and Swanee Rd community allotments provided recreational space for all ages offering both health and educational benefits and training through Groundwork (20 places). 

The success of the Kendray project has been recognised nationally Neighbourhood Renewal Awards 2004 and 2005 (Young Persons Play area and Best Neighbourhood Management Partnership respectively), National Federation of ALMO Awards 2008 (Physical Blueprint) and Regional Housing Association Awards 2009 (Lavender Court). 

 

Contacts:

Berneslai Homes
Springfield House
Springfield Street
BARNSLEY
S70 6HH

General Enquiries: 01226 775555

Housing Regeneration Enquiries: 01226 772707

email: regenerationteam@berneslaihomes.co.uk

Chevin Housing Association
Head Office
Harrison Street
Wakefield
WF1 1PS

General & Departmental Enquiries: 01924 290949

Housing Enquiries: 0845 270 1088

email: enquiries@chevinha.co.uk

 
Haslam Homes
Haslam Homes Head Office
The Waterfront
Lakeside Boulevard
Doncaster
DN4 5PL

Tel: 01302 346600
Fax: 01302 341016

email: info@haslam-homes.co.uk

Kendray Neighbourhood Management Team
Community House,
27/29 Birk Avenue,
BARNSLEY
S70 3AG

Tel: 01226 732869

email : Tina.Smith@barnsley.gov.uk

 

 

 

Last modified on 22/2/2010