Shepherd's Bush Housing Group 'Mindful of Local Concerns'

And invite residents to become involved with development of St Margaret's House

Following the Council's decision to give the go ahead to the redevelopment of St Margaret’s House ahead despite local opposition, Shepherd's Bush Housing Group (SBHG) have said they want to with the local community and keep "all lines of communication open".

Amanda Morrison, director of housing services at SBHG, told ChiswickW4.com: "We were pleased that some local residents have asked if they could be involved in the development of St Margaret's.

"We have a strong local presence and pride ourselves on being a good neighbour. We recognise the importance of managing the impact on the surrounding neighbourhood and want to work with local people to see this happens. We listened to concerns and amended the design of the scheme to ensure it is attractive and mirrors the buildings around it.

"We are very mindful of the concerns raised during those meeting we held with the community. We are looking at holding another drop-in session in the New Year and would be pleased to respond to any questions at that time."

Speaking after last week's Council meeting, Chiswick resident Ed Stanley, said: "Fair play to Shepherds Bush Housing Group; they took our complaints seriously and they conceded that there should have been extensive pre-application consultation with the local community as there has been on similar projects outside the borough; however, the Council had suggested that they did not need to."

St Margaret’s House will be a supported housing scheme providing 26 self contained flats for young people to help prepare them for independent living by offering accommodation and professional support and guidance.

Each young person will have their own flat but there will also be staff and facilities on site to provide them with training in practical skills, such as cooking and budgeting.

SBHG will also offer them support and advice on getting into college, onto vocational courses, securing employment or signposting them to other specialist agencies.

December 22, 2010