London & South East

New community development is underway in Basildon

Phase Two of a brand new community development in Basildon is currently under construction.

Royal Court is a £17 million purpose-built housing development for the Family Mosaic Housing Association. The aim of the scheme is to construct good quality houses within a desirable environment.

The land for the Royal Court was donated by Basildon Council and is part of the Council’s ongoing scheme to regenerate Basildon. Royal Court is being joint-funded by Family Mosaic Housing Association and Lovell.

Councillor Phil Turner, Basildon Council, said:

“This project is part of our long term programme to regenerate the area by replacing some of the Basildon housing built during the sixties with much better high quality modern homes.

“These are exciting times. Basildon is alive with opportunity. It is a place where things are happening and where regeneration is growing communities. We already have a proud community that we believe will develop further as our regeneration plans move forward.

“Opportunities and change will help our residents flourish in a rejuvenated borough with the best access to education and skills, healthcare provision, leisure and cultural services, and some of the best green and open spaces in the region.”

The Royal Court project comprises the construction of 107 flats, 20 houses, a community centre and a shop. Lovell is the main contractor and developer and BDG Architecture is the architect.

Work began on the project in late 2009. The project was divided into two phases, with Phase One reaching completion in October 2011.

Phase One comprised the construction of 20 houses and a number of flats for Family Mosaic Housing Association, whilst a retail unit was also constructed on the site.

Phase Two of the Royal Court project comprises the demolition of two twin tower blocks and the construction of the remaining flats on the scheme. The flats constructed in Phase Two will be sold by Lovell. In addition, a community centre will be constructed and a community green and play area will be installed.

The housing units on the site were constructed from a mix of brick, block and timber and feature UPVC windows and a brick exterior. The community building will be built using a steel frame construction.

Lovell Contracts Manager, Martin Pettet, said:

“It’s extremely important for us to be involved in this regeneration scheme in Essex. A project such as Royal Court is what Lovell are specialists in, and this scheme is helping to create a community in Basildon.

“It’s been a good scheme so far with no major problems. We did encounter one issue early into the programme which affected the way we had to build. This involved an oil filled electric main located on the site, but despite this everything else has run smoothly so far. We look forward to completing this project both on programme and on budget.”

Phase Two of Royal Court is scheduled for completion in October 2012.

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