A major plan to redevelop two Huddersfield high rise flats blocks has commenced as the council begins talking to tenants to help rehouse them.
Following a consultation with residents in 2021, council tenants at Berry Brow’s Bishops Court and Holme Park Court were asked to give their views over the future of the two high-rise blocks.
The tenants voted overwhelmingly in favour of the blocks being demolished and rebuilt as new housing.
The £36.78 million project is expected to take around seven years and will be carried out in six stages:
- Phase 1 – Supporting tenants and leaseholders to move out
- Phase 2 – Designing the new homes
- Phase 3 – Public consultation
- Phase 4 – Finalising designs, obtaining planning permission and Cabinet approval
- Phase 5 – Demolishing existing buildings
- Phase 6 – Building the new homes
Housing officers are now starting phase one of the plan and will begin by individually supporting tenants at Bishops Court to find new homes.
To make sure every tenant gets the support they need, five floors will be prioritised at a time, starting with Bishops Court before moving onto Holme Park Court once the entire block is empty.
Tenants living on priority floors will be categorised as Band B, giving them the highest banding possible when bidding on properties on the council’s housing register ‘Choose N Move.’
It is expected it could be two years before all tenants are moved out of the Berry Brow flats and plans to redevelop the site can begin.
Councillor Cathy Scott, Cabinet Member for Housing and Democracy, said:
“After listening to our tenants’ views on the future of the Berry Brow high rise flats, I am pleased we are now able to start the process of redeveloping the flats and start talking to our tenants to support them in finding alternative places they would like to live.
“We have a dedicated team in place to offer our tenants one-to-one support during this process and to also assist them with moving costs, as well as compensating them for the loss of their home.
“We appreciate this will be an unsettling time and will do everything we can to help to support our tenants through this process and ensure they are satisfied with their new homes.”
Dedicated council housing officers will work closely with tenants to find them suitable housing and support them with the moving process.
Work will also begin on developing plans for new build social housing on the Berry Brow site, with draft designs expected to be ready for public consultation by summer 2023.
An information day for tenants is being held on 24 June to provide residents with the opportunity to ask any questions or discuss any issues.
Council officers will be on hand at Bishops Court from 12pm to 7pm to speak to residents and will be joined by other organisations offering additional support.
For further information about the Berry Brow redevelopment, please email HNBerryBrow@kirklees.gov.uk.