Turner Gardens
Talking to Turner Gardens, August 2019
On a sunny but very windy day, pitching up on the Turner Gardens Green with teas, coffees and biscuits, we brought the community-led housing conversation to the residents of Turner Gardens and Constable Road.
Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust had previously worked with a pilot group of Lockleaze residents, Vivid Regeneration and GCP architects to explore different opportunities for Community-led Housing in Lockleaze. The two parcels of land at the junction of Turner Gardens and Constable Road used to have houses that were demolished due to ‘concrete cancer’ over a decade ago. As a site, this presents a great opportunity to deliver LNT’s first Community-led Housing Project in Lockleaze.
With any proposal that has an impact on local people and places, we believe the first stop is to speak to the residents and communities who are likely to be most affected. We really enjoyed speaking to people about their experiences of living in the area and what they wanted to see for the future of their street and neighbourhood. We also chatted about the benefits and opportunities of Community-led homes and what makes delivering homes this way different to other models.
It was fantastic to hear that the majority of people we talked with would support affordable homes that prioritise and respond to local needs on the Turner Gardens site. We will continue the conversation with the street about how the project can integrate with the existing community and help bring benefits to those living in the area and not just those moving in!
