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Following £1.9m of repairs Town Centre House will be used to home refugees
15/03/2024
Cherwell District Council has bought the building for £4.125m
A £1.9m government grant has been secured to fix the roof at Town Centre House in Banbury. Once this work is complete the first letting of the building’s flats will be for refugees who have moved here on a government resettlement scheme – a requirement of the grant.
Town Centre House was closed and its residents rehoused in 2022 after it was discovered that reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) had been used in the building’s roof.
At the time the property was owned by AI Property Group but let to Cherwell District Council on a 35 year lease. The Council’s lease required it to complete any repairs.
Following an analysis of the costs of repairing the RAAC roof Cherwell decided that full ownership of the building would provide the most cost-effective long term solution for local taxpayers. The purchase was completed at a cost of £4.125m.
The Council’s contractor Beard Construction will start work at Town Centre House in the next few days. They will complete fire safety upgrades and remodelling work to make some of the units more family friendly, at the same time as rebuilding the roof. The work is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Councillor Nicholas Mawer, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “We have an ambition to drive up the quality of social housing in north Oxfordshire, and although we manage a relatively low number of properties, we are determined to lead by example.
“With repairs to the roof needed anyway, we are taking the opportunity to invest in a thorough refurbishment of Town Centre House. This forward-thinking project will ensure that tenants can benefit from secure accommodation for years to come.”
The property, on the corner of the Southam Road and Warwick Road, was built in the 1980s. As an office block it had remained empty for 10 years when it was bought with the intention of repurposing for affordable housing. The first tenants moved in during 2016.
Following the current repair and upgrade work Town Centre House will include 36 flats.
The £1.9m of government funding came from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Local Authority Housing Fund.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam