Curo News

First Family Moves into New Development at Locking Parklands

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 13:56:00 Z

A family of NHS workers are the first to move into their new home at Locking Parklands in Weston-super-Mare, marking the first completion at the development from Curo, the Bath-based housing association and housebuilder.

Locking Parklands will eventually comprise 124 homes, 33% of which will be affordable housing, including a mix of apartments and family houses, catering to a range of needs and budgets.

The Deepesh family, who work for the NHS, are thrilled with their new home. They commented, “After searching for our dream home for six months, discovering the show home at Curo was a turning point. We instantly fell in love with it and made the decision right away to secure our new home. The sales advisors were incredibly supportive and very customer-friendly, making the entire process enjoyable. We are very happy with our new home. The children have been particularly joyful since the move, and as any parent knows, if the children are happy, we are happy too."

"We were immediately drawn to the layout of Locking Parklands; it’s wonderfully peaceful and has a lovely green environment. It feels pleasantly rural yet remains close to essential services like the GP and surgery, which adds a lot of convenience."

This new development also provides community infrastructure, including a new GP surgery, primary and secondary schools, as well as local shops and workspaces. Prospective buyers can register their interest on Curo’s website: https://www.curo-sales.co.uk.

Lisa Howell, Sales Director at Curo, commented on the broader impact of the development: "We're thrilled to welcome the Deepesh family to Locking Parklands. This development is not just about building homes; it's about creating a community. With families like the Deepesh family, who contribute so much to our communities, moving in, we are confident that Locking Parklands will become a thriving part of Weston-super-Mare.”

“People often think of development as adding extra strain to local services, but this is a great example of the benefits new homes can bring to an area. We take care to think about integration into the existing community, facilities, public transport, public spaces and aesthetic character. We treat each site as a unique place and create attractive, thriving neighbourhoods that people love to call home."

Students at Parklands Educate Together Bury Time Capsule at Curo Development

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 16:56:25 Z

July, 2023 – Students from Parklands Educate Together partnered with Bath-based housing association and housebuilder Curo at their new development in Locking Parklands to bury a time capsule, celebrating a recent boost to their arts funding.

The school received a £1,000 donation from Curo to improve their speech and drama facilities, including the construction of a new stage, improving local children's access to art and culture.

To mark the moment, the students buried a time capsule at Locking Parklands. The event was attended by Curo colleagues, including Sales Director Lisa Howells and Head of Construction Paul Fackrell, as well as Principal of Parklands Educate Together Jeremy Hughes and local students.

Students seal the time capsule at a Locking Parklands show home

The students did a presentation featuring items they picked for the time capsule, each showing what life is like in 2024.

These items included newspapers, recent schoolwork and letters to their future selves. After sealing the capsule, the students took it to a spot in one of the many green areas of the development and buried it. The capsule won’t be dug up for another 50 years.

One student said, "It's exciting to think that in the future, people will open this capsule and learn about our lives today. This is our way of connecting with the future."

Students and headteacher Jeremy Hughes stand outside a Locking Parklands show home

Lisa Howells said, "Curo is committed to supporting the communities where we develop – we are long-term investors, managing our affordable housing on-site for many years into the future. Development often gets a bad rap in local communities because some other developers don’t stay invested in the long term in the way that we do."

She continued, “This time capsule symbolises our ongoing involvement in the area's growth and prosperity. We are proud to support this school and look forward to seeing more local children take up the arts – or even consider a career in housebuilding!”

This donation coincides with Curo's celebration of their first move-ins on the site, which offers 1, 2, 3, and 4-bedroom homes. This new development also provides community infrastructure, including a new GP surgery, primary and secondary schools, as well as local shops and workspaces. Prospective buyers can register their interest on Curo’s website: https://www.curo-sales.co.uk.

Curo breaks ground at Locking Parklands Phase 4

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 10:10:32 Z

Curo has begun works at a new 124-home development in Locking, Weston-super-Mare.

A special ceremony was held to mark the beginning of works on site. Attended by Councillor Sonia Russé, Mayor of Weston-super-Mare, alongside Curo CEO Victor da Cunha and a number of other Curo colleagues, the ceremony offered an opportunity to tour the site, and the group jointly participated in ‘breaking ground’ to signify the project's commencement.

Together, the group spoke about the next steps for the site, as well as the benefits the development would bring to the local Weston-super-Mare community. Victor da Cunha, also explained how, in the absence of any shareholders, Curo re-invests the profits from its sales into building more affordable homes.

Phase 4 at Locking Parklands forms a key part of the regeneration of Locking’s former RAF base – which will eventually become a new 1,450-home neighbourhood.

Upon completion, the brownfield scheme will deliver a diverse selection of housing types across 124-homes. The majority of these homes will be allocated for private sale, however, a significant number of the homes will also be designated as affordable housing, available for social rent or Shared Ownership, offering an accessible route onto the property ladder.

Originally, planning requirements mandated that only 15% of the homes at Locking Parklands Phase 4 be designated as affordable housing. However, Curo has gone above and beyond this threshold, and is working with Homes England to increase the percentage of affordable provision on site.

Future residents, and the wider Locking community, will also benefit from the opening of a series of a new amenities - including a brand new community centre, a doctor's surgery, a variety of shops, as well as a recently opened primary school, and a secondary school, being developed by a third party.

Victor da Cunha, CEO says, “At Curo, we believe that everyone should have access to quality, affordable housing, so we are thrilled to have broken ground at Locking Parklands, where we are not only building homes for sale and rent but also providing much needed affordable housing."

"With dedication and Homes England's support, we are delighted to have increased the percentage of affordable homes on the site from the original planning requirement, demonstrating our shared commitment to creating thriving, sustainable communities for all. We take great pride in being able to contribute to the Weston-super-Mare community for the long term benefit of both our future residents and local people."