Curo News

Curo granted planning permission for 38 new flats in Bristol

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:00:00 Z

Planning permission has been granted for the redevelopment of Holly House in Lawrence Weston, Bristol. This project will replace an outdated block of flats with 38 brand-new, energy-efficient homes exclusively for social rent.

(Proposed frontage of the Holly House redevelopment, showcasing modern design and improved landscaping)

Construction is set to begin in the spring, following the demolition of the existing flats on the site.

The redevelopment will provide a mix of one- and two-bedroom flats across three modern blocks. Each home will come with a private parking space ready for electric vehicle charging, a balcony, and secure bike storage with a maintenance rack. The homes will be allocated through Bristol City Council, with priority given to local residents.

To better serve the community, we’re including a small satellite office for colleagues on the site. The redevelopment will also improve the surrounding area with new pedestrian routes, a zebra crossing, landscaped communal gardens, and green spaces featuring wildflowers, bird boxes, and bat boxes. These additions will create a welcoming environment and support local biodiversity.

As part of our commitment to improving sustainability across our developments, the new homes will not use gas. Instead, they’ll rely on solar panels, air-source heat pumps, and energy-efficient materials, helping to reduce residents’ bills and support a greener future.

This redevelopment is part of a broader strategy for placemaking in Lawrence Weston, where we’ve already completed 44 affordable homes on neighbouring sites at the former Long Cross Inn and Rockwell Care Home. Together, these projects will deliver a total of 82 affordable homes for the area, addressing the growing need for high-quality housing.

(The site at Holly House, shown alongside the neighbouring Long Cross and Rockwell developments)

Directors comment

“We initially considered refurbishing the block, but the scale of work required led us to explore a more sustainable solution,” said Sarah Maylor, Director of Development at Curo.

“By working closely with Bristol City Council and local stakeholders, we’ve developed a long-term strategy to regenerate these homes, which are at the end of their useful life, and deliver new, high-quality homes for the community.

“We’ll be managing these homes for the long term, so we’ve put a great deal of thought into ensuring they’re well-built and designed to be places people can enjoy for years to come.”

Bristol Cabinet Member for Housing impressed with progress of new homes in Lawrence Weston

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 11:01:47 Z

Image above (R-L): Homes England Head of Provider Management, John Kearney, Curo Head of Construction, Paul Fackrell, Curo Chief Executive, Victor da Cunha, Curo Health and Safety Manager, Andrew Culverhouse, Bristol City Council Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes, Councillor Tom Renhard, Homes England Senior Manager, Helen Bone, and Kensa Contracting Managing Director, David Broom, at Curo's development of 128 new homes, Century Park, in Lawrence Weston, Bristol.

Bristol City Council Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes, Councillor Tom Renhard, visited Curo’s Century Park and The Willows developments in Lawrence Weston to see the construction progress of 185 new homes for the city.

More than half of the new homes currently being delivered by Curo across the two schemes will be much-needed affordable housing for local families.

Cllr Renhard was accompanied on the visit by Curo Chief Executive, Victor da Cunha, and Homes England’s Head of Provider Management, John Kearney and Senior Manager, Helen Bone.

At Century Park, where Curo has already welcomed eight families this year, they visited the recently launched show home and saw how ground source heat pumps work. All homes at Century Park benefit from heat pumps, a greener, more environmentally-friendly way to provide domestic heating and hot water compared to gas boilers.

When completed, Century Park will deliver 128 homes in total, including 29 homes for social rent and nine homes for shared ownership.

At The Willows, where Curo is working with contractor Jehu Group to deliver the regeneration scheme, Cllr Renhard met James Beck, a local resident who is now employed as part of the building team on site.

Image above: Bristol City Council Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes, Councillor Tom Renhard (left) with Curo Chief Executive, Victor da Cunha (right) and Lawrence Weston resident, James Beck (centre), who is now part of the construction team at Curo's development of 57 new affordable homes at The Willows in Lawrence Weston, Bristol.

Due to be completed by the end of the year, The Willows will provide 38 homes for social and affordable rent and 19 homes for shared ownership. The project benefits from a Homes England grant of just over £2.8 million, alongside Curo’s investment of almost £5.7 million.

Curo will also refurbish an existing block of 12 apartments which will benefit from external panelling, new windows and new electricity supplies. The improvements will help reduce heating bills and increase comfort for residents.

Councillor Tom Renhard, Bristol City Council Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes says: “I’m impressed with the progress Curo is making in Lawrence Weston to deliver these much-needed new homes, while supporting the community and local economy. It’s fantastic that more than half of the new homes will be affordable housing, with many benefitting from low carbon ground source heat pumps. This will help many local families to live in good quality, future proof homes which will also support our city to move to closer to its net zero carbon ambitions.”

Image above: Representatives from Curo, Bristol City Council, the government's housing agency Homes England and contractor Jehu Group at Curo's development of 57 new affordable homes in Lawrence Weston, The Willows.

Victor says: “These new affordable homes will change the lives of many families struggling to take a first step on the property ladder or rent affordably in the local area. But our homes for sale are also helping young couples to achieve their homeownership dreams close to their families and friends – the majority of our new residents at Century Park so far are people under 35 years of age from Lawrence Weston, Shirehampton, Avonmouth and Brentry and most have purchased their homes with Help to Buy, available only on new-builds.

“Our developments in Lawrence Weston are great examples of partnership working between a housing association, the local authority and the government’s housing agency. We worked closely with Bristol City Council to secure the sites, while Homes England grant funding is making it possible for us to deliver a 100% affordable housing scheme at The Willows.”

Housing association Curo and contractor Jehu inspire Bristol’s next generation of builders

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 06:45:04 Z

More than 60 children from Oasis Academy Bank Leaze in Lawrence Weston, Bristol, visited the nearby affordable housing development at The Willows to learn about construction in a fun-filled session organised by housing association and housebuilder Curo and contractor Jehu Group.

Children from Nursery and Reception had the opportunity to see how plant machinery works, including a crane raising timber frames and excavators digging foundations for the new homes. They also learnt about roofs, what they’re made of and how they are installed on new build homes.

But by far the children’s favourite activity was trying their hand at bricklaying, with help from contractor DTM Brick N Stone. Every pupil had the chance to help build a brick wall, with varying degrees of success.

Oasis Academy Bank Leaze teacher, Mrs Georgina Fitz-Gerald, says: “This has been such a fantastic activity for the children, and we’re grateful to Curo and Jehu for helping us to inspire future generations of professionals as part of the current term’s Early Years Foundation Stage topic, ‘when I grow up’.

“The trip was a great opportunity for children to learn about the different construction trades involved in building a house in a practical way, outside of the traditional classroom setting. Pupils and teachers alike, we’ve all had a brilliant day and I’m sure we’ll be talking about it for months to come!”

Curo is currently building 57 new affordable homes with contractor Jehu Group at The Willows development, at Corbet Close in Lawrence Weston, Bristol.

Curo Deputy Managing Director of Housebuilding, Sarah Maylor, says: “It was wonderful to welcome pupils from Oasis Academy to our development to show them the fun side of construction in a safe environment. We loved seeing them engage with all the hands-on activities and hope that we’ve been able to stir up their interest in these highly skilled and very rewarding trades that make up the housebuilding sector.”

Jehu Group Site Manager for The Willows, Tomasz Magiera, says: “We’re delighted to work with Curo at The Willows in Lawrence Weston – together we’re not just building new homes, but also investing in the local economy and skills and supporting communities.

“It was great to see so many young children getting excited about construction and we’re pleased that we were able to put a smile on their faces and make this experience possible for them.”

This is the third time Curo and Jehu Group have partnered with Oasis Academy Bank Leaze. Not long after the start of construction works at The Willows, the pupils took part in a drawing and painting competition, with their artwork now proudly displayed on the construction site’s hoardings. More recently, Curo and Jehu Group created a sensory garden for the school, to help promote the pupils’ wellbeing and mental health.

Bristol school opens sensory garden with help from local housebuilders

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 09:26:36 Z

Image above: Curo Sales Advisor, Ruby Webber and Jehu Project Manager, Tomasz Magiera helping Year 1 and Year 2 pupils to plant their new sensory garden at Oasis Academy Bank Leaze.

A school in Lawrence Weston, Bristol has opened a new sensory garden to help promote the pupils’ wellbeing and mental health.

Oasis Academy Bank Leaze, also known locally as ‘the blue school on the hill’, was helped to set up the garden by housing association and housebuilder Curo and their contractor Jehu Group.

Curo is working with Jehu to deliver 57 new affordable homes for social and affordable rent and shared ownership at The Willows, a residential development near the school.

The materials and labour for the planters as well as all the plants were donated by Curo and Jehu as part of their joint commitment to support communities and make a positive contribution to the neighbourhoods they work in.

Students from Year 1 and Year 2 were helped by Curo and Jehu colleagues to plant the garden with low ferns, rose bushes, ornamental grasses, coloured heathers and some herbs.

L-R: Paula Beel, Curo Sales Manager, Ruby Webber, Curo Sales Advisor, Tomasz Magiera, Jehu Project Manager and Georgina Fitz-Gerald, Oasis Academy teacher with Year 1 and Year 2 pupils.

Curo Sales Manager, Paula Beel, says: “Supporting local communities where we build much-needed new homes is part of Curo’s purpose – Homes for Good.

“Over the past couple of years, we’ve all rediscovered how powerful nature can be in helping us to maintain and improve our well-being and mental health. We’re really pleased that, alongside our contractor Jehu, we were able to help the school create this lovely garden for their children to enjoy every day.”

Jehu Project Manager, Tomasz Magiera, says: “We’re proud to work with Curo at The Willows, delivering much-needed new affordable homes in Lawrence Weston, and supporting community initiatives that benefit local residents. It’s great to see how much the children are already enjoying the new garden and we’re proud we could come together and use our strength as a force for good in society.”

Oasis Academy Bank Leaze teacher, Georgina Fitz-Gerald, says: “The children loved planting and tending to the garden. They’re really excited about watering the plants to help them grow and look forward to seeing how they will change over the seasons.

“At our school, we try to use the outdoors as much as possible to teach our children about nature and the environment, and to promote their mental health. We’re over the moon with our new garden and I’m certain it will be enjoyed by the kids for many years to come.”

The Willows is a 100% affordable housing development, including 19 homes for sale through the part-rent/part-buy scheme, shared ownership. The development will be completed by the end of 2022.

For more information about The Willows click here. For shared ownership, visit our sales website.

Housebuilding in Lawrence Weston brings opportunities for local people

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 12:31:55 Z

A Lawrence Weston resident is among the newest members of contractor Jehu’s site team at Curo’s The Willows development, in Bristol.

The Willows is a 100% affordable housing development of 57 homes for social and affordable rent and shared ownership. Curo is working with contractor Jehu to deliver the much-needed new homes.

James Beck joined the site team two months ago as labourer and construction traffic marshall for the project. The 34-year-old father-of-three and his family have lived in Lawrence Weston all their lives and their current home is just across the road from the new development site.

James says: “I’ve always been interested in construction and I started working on sites right after I finished school. I really enjoy this line of work and look forward to learning new skills in my current role.

“It’s great to be able to work so close to my home. I saw the job advertised and I thought it can’t get any better, it’s straight across the road from where I live - the shortest commute!”

James believes that employing local people to work in their communities is a win-win situation for everyone. He says: “When you have a busy construction site there can sometimes be some difficulties with things like deliveries of materials. Having a friendly face on site, someone local people recognise and can approach with any comments or suggestions is great because whatever it is, if they tell us, we will do our best to sort it.”

James’ current goals include gaining some further construction qualifications. He says: “The teams here at Jehu and Curo are very supportive. In the long term, I would like to become a site manager myself and I know that with this job there are opportunities, training and support for this.”

James was offered a permanent role with contractor Jehu and will continue to work alongside the team after the construction at The Willows is completed.

Read more about The Willows development in our contractor's latest construction newsletter here.

Want to find out more about the future shared ownership homes at The Willows? Visit our sales website to register your interest.

Curo appoints Jehu to £8.5million regeneration scheme in Bristol

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 10:13:49 Z

West of England housing association Curo has appointed Jehu Group as the main contractor to deliver 57 new affordable homes at a regeneration scheme in Lawrence Weston, Bristol.

The development, whose name ‘The Willows’ was suggested by a local resident, will consist of a mix of one, two and three-bedroom houses and apartments delivered across three adjoining sites. The project will include the conversion of Curo’s former office building at Holly House into 13 apartments for social rent. These will be let to people over 55 and will feature assistive technology, such as personal alarms or memory aids, that can be tailored to the needs of the occupiers and enable them to stay in their homes for longer.

Another 25 homes for affordable rent and 19 houses for shared ownership will be newly constructed on the land of the former Long Cross Inn and Rockwell care home.

Curo will also refurbish an existing block of 12 apartments which will benefit from external insulation, new windows and new electricity supplies. The improvements will help reduce heating bills and increase comfort for residents.

Curo’s investment of almost £5.7 million will be topped up by a Homes England grant of just over £2.8 million.

Works are starting in March, with the first few weeks of activity dedicated to setting up and preparing the site. This will be followed by demolition of the former Rockwell care home buildings, scheduled to start on 25th March and last approximately 12 weeks.

Curo Chief Executive, Victor da Cunha, says: “We’re looking forward to working with Jehu at The Willows. This exciting regeneration scheme won’t just provide new affordable housing for local people, it will also benefit the wider community by redeveloping vacant and underused land and improving the appearance and security of the area.”

Nigel Crawford, Operations Director of Jehu South West, says: “We are excited by our new partnership with Curo and are looking forward to delivering much needed affordable homes for the local community at The Willows. The Willows is an exciting development for the area, and we plan to develop a great relationship with the residents, the Oasis Bank Leaze Academy school and local businesses and leave a legacy when we have finished the project.”

Curo are building another 128 new homes in Lawrence Weston, including 90 homes for sale and 38 homes for social rent and shared ownership at their Century Park development.

The regeneration scheme at The Willows is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

Local residents choose names for Curo’s developments in Lawrence Weston, Bristol

Fri, 19 Apr 2019 08:55:24 Z

‘Century Park’ and ‘The Willows’ are today revealed as the new names for Curo’s developments in Lawrence Weston, Bristol.

The names were suggested by local residents Becky Cockle and Rhiannon Beail, following a campaign by Curo to find new identities for the two sites - previously referred to as Henacre Road and Corbet Close.

The winning residents were thanked for their contributions and given vouchers by Curo Chief Executive, Victor da Cunha. Victor says: “We wanted to make sure we chose names that reflected the local area, its community, history and landmarks - what better way to do so than ask local people who live here for their input.

“The competition was a great opportunity to engage with the local community and we’ve received many inspiring suggestions. Thanks to everyone who got involved and congratulations to Becky and Rhiannon for putting forward the winning names.”

Over the next few years, Curo plans to develop 185 new homes in Lawrence Weston with more than half – 95 homes – as affordable housing for social/affordable rent and shared ownership.

Century Park at Henacre Road will deliver 128 new homes, including 30% affordable housing. The Willows at Corbet Close is a 100% affordable housing scheme and will provide another 57 much-needed new homes.

Rhiannon Beail, who suggested ‘The Willows’, is a 21-year-old college student. She said: “The development is located very close to the local nature reserve and wetlands where there are many willow trees. As a resident of Lawrence Weston I have visited these wetlands many times since I was little and thought it would be nice to acknowledge the close connection to nature we have in this area.

“There was also a large willow tree that stood just up the street from Corbet Close, I used to walk past it every day on my way to school.”

Century Park was suggested by local resident Becky Cockle, who is a Trainee Community Development Worker for the resident-driven organisation Ambition Lawrence Weston. Becky’s choice recognises the 100th anniversary since the first ‘homes for heroes’ were built in the wider area. She said: “I support the development and look forward to these much-needed new homes being built. I’m even more excited about it now that I can tell friends and family I actually named the site!”

Name our developments and win £100 in Love2Shop vouchers

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 12:03:24 Z

Curo asks local people for suggestions

We’re proud and excited to be delivering 185 new homes in Lawrence Weston over the next few years. While we’re progressing our planning applications for 57 affordable homes at Corbet Close and 128 homes at Henacre Road, we’re asking local residents to help us find names for our two developments.

If you have an idea for a name for either of the new schemes – or both – that reflects the local area, its community, history or landmarks, we’d love to hear from you.

The winning names will receive £100 in Love2Shop vouchers each and will be announced in February 2019.

Send your ideas together with your name, age, contact details and one sentence explaining the story behind your suggestion by 31st January 2019 to:

E: communications@curo-group.co.uk

Or write to us at:

Curo – Communications

The Maltings, River Place

Lower Bristol Road

Bath BA2 1EP

See Terms & Conditions for the competition here.

Bristol North West MP visits Lawrence Weston site where Curo hope to deliver 57 new affordable homes

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 15:49:19 Z

Image above - from left to right: Curo Senior Development Manager Francesca Topazio, Darren Jones MP, Curo Managing Director Gerraint Oakley and Technical Manager Peter Haywood at Holly House, Corbet Close

Bristol North West MP Darren Jones visited Curo’s site at Corbet Close in Lawrence Weston last week to find out more about the organisation’s plans to build 57 much-needed new affordable homes in the area.

The local MP was accompanied on the site visit by Curo Managing Director, Gerraint Oakley, and the project team.

The development will provide one, two and three bedroom homes for social and affordable rent, as well as a number of homes for shared ownership.

Curo submitted its planning application in August and is anticipating the new homes could be completed by the end of 2021 if granted consent by Bristol City Council.

Corbet Close along with Curo’s other proposed development in Lawrence Weston - for 128 homes at Henacre Road - could see the addition of 185 new homes in total for the area, of which 95 will be affordable housing.

Mr Jones said: “These developments will help more families from Lawrence Weston to stay in or return to the community they love and where they grew up.

“I am pleased that more than half of the new homes proposed by Curo will be available as affordable housing - these homes will benefit people who are on the council’s housing list.

“I grew up in Lawrence Weston and I’m delighted to see investment in housing in this area – these developments and others like it will not only create new housing that is urgently needed in Bristol, they’ll also deliver growth in the local economy. Housing Associations are key partners in delivering our city’s target of 2,000 new homes per year by 2020.”

Gerraint Oakley said: “We’re keen to work with the council and other partners to create even more new housing in Bristol and look forward to be able to start building both at Henacre Road and Corbet Close.

“We’d like to thank Darren Jones MP for taking the time to visit our site and find out more about our developments which will benefit the whole area - including our existing tenants at Corbet Close, who will enjoy better external communal areas, improved security and amenities.”