Demolition work will pave the way for £30m Queens Drive regeneration scheme

A former council housing block will be demolished over the coming weeks as a £30m project to build 149 affordable homes moves a step closer.

Contractors are already clearing out the inside of George Gay Gardens in Queens Drive prior to pulling down the building and removing the adjacent housing blocks to the south of Wolsely Avenue.

Swindon Borough Council intends to replace the ageing vacant housing units with 100 new flats and 49 houses to enhance one of the main gateway routes into Swindon.

The new properties will form part of the Council’s Vision and Pledge to ensure there is a range of good quality housing options in Swindon, including affordable homes.

The Queens Drive regeneration project is estimated to cost £30.5m and will be funded from a grant from Homes England, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) borrowing, future rents and income generated from the development. It is the Council’s latest affordable housing scheme following two similar developments in Penhill and one in Cranmore Avenue, Park South which have recently been completed.

The Council’s Cabinet has already agreed to the principal of redeveloping the site and existing long-term tenants have already been moved into alternative accommodation to enable the demolition to take place.

Building work on the first phase of the development is expected to start early next year, subject to planning consent, and could be completed by mid-2021. Construction of the second phase of the development will start once the first phase is finished. The whole development is likely to be complete by early 2023.

Cllr Cathy Martyn, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Safety, said: “Queens Drive is an important gateway into Swindon and this development is a further example of how we are investing in our local communities to benefit local residents.

“We have just finished our latest affordable housing development in Penhill and tenants are now moving in, which is great news. These new properties along Queens Drive will deliver the same kind of quality, modern homes for our tenants and will provide a real boost to our housing stock.”