Radstock Walnut Buildings news : How to have your say on plans

Curo is proposing to build 32 new affordable homes on the land formerly occupied by Walnut Buildings in Radstock.

A public exhibition of the redevelopment plans will take place on Thursday 9 September at Whisty Community Hall (BA3 3JL) and local residents are encouraged to drop in any time between 2-7pm.

The proposed homes are a mix of 1- and 2-bedroom apartments and 2- and 3-bedroom houses. Just over half of the new homes (17) will be let at social rent to people on Bath & North East Somerset Council's housing list while the remainder (15) will be sold to first time buyersthrough the Shared Ownership scheme.

Curo Chief Executive, Victor da Cunha, says: "We're looking forward to sharing our redevelopment plans for Walnut Buildings with the community in Radstock this month. I want to thank all residents who got involved in our first consultation earlier this year – your feedback was invaluable in developing these proposals and we hope you'll come along to the exhibition to let us know what you think.

"The new scheme has been designed to complement existing homes and buildings and to improve the appearance and safety of the area, which were the community's main priorities. The development could give more local people and families the opportunity to live in modern, warm and energy-efficient affordable homes."

The proposals include electric vehicle (EV) charging points and a 'home zone' as the main road through the new development. A home zone is a space shared between vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and children, with consideration given to the wider needs of the residents.

The development will aim to achieve a 19% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to building regulations requirements, by using energy efficient building materials and renewable/low carbon technologies. This could mean the future homes at Walnut Buildings may feature air source heat pumps instead of gas boilers, while some may also have photovoltaic solar panels.

Curo are looking to submit a planning application to B&NES Council in winter 2021. Subject to securing planning permission, Curo could start works on site at Walnut Buildings by spring 2023 and complete the development by summer 2024.