Preston Area
13 November 2024
Raven Housing Trust
The aim of this regeneration project is to go beyond just individual homes and buildings, it’s about working with residents and local partners, to create the homes and neighbourhoods they want and need.
I think when you set off on a journey of regeneration, you start with energy and ambition, and an ill-defined vision of something ‘better’. But you don’t really know where it will lead or quite how you will get there - and nor should you.
We know what the data tells us about the challenges of living and working in Preston, and about the condition of Raven properties, and we know what our own tenants tell us about living in their homes. But we have far more to learn about the true nature of these challenges and more importantly about what some of the solutions might be.
So right now, we are asking questions and we are listening, and whilst we are doing that, we are linking arms with all the other agencies with an interest in the future of Preston so they can be part of this journey.
This redevelopment programme is all about ensuring the homes and community reflect what residents in Preston want and need, which is why the first phase of this project is all about community engagement.
While it’s too early to say exactly how it will look, we do have an idea of what ‘better’ might look like. Through a programme of investment and regeneration we want to provide homes that are truly fit for the future, in a neighbourhood that people can feel proud to call home; neighbourhoods that are safe, secure and clean.
Properties in this area account for approximately 17% of Raven’s homes. It’s an area where we’ve been investing significantly over the past few years - we have a number of individual development programmes currently running, including redeveloping the site of a former sheltered housing scheme, and the redevelopment of garage sites to provide new affordable homes.
The aim of this regeneration project is to go beyond just individual homes and buildings, it’s about working with residents and local partners, to create the homes and neighbourhoods they want and need. Homes that are warm, using the latest energy efficient technology to help make them cheaper to heat and run. By investing in the neighbourhood and communal areas we can help create spaces for communities to enjoy together; spaces that encourage bio-diversity as well as community cohesion.