Rue Jamouneau, a Guernsey Housing Association development in partnership with the Housing Department, has been completed on time and within budget by construction firm Rihoy & Son.
The completion of the 80 properties at Rue Jamouneau marks the culmination of the regeneration of the old social housing estates in the Bouet.
Rihoy & Son managing director, Gavin Rihoy, said he was delighted with the project.
‘Rihoy & Son has been involved in the redevelopment of the old Bouet housing estates from the very beginning. The previous phase, Rue Clouet, was recently shortlisted in the Guernsey Design Awards 2014 for the People’s Choice Award.’
The development is designed to accommodate a broad selection of residents, with 54 properties for rent and 26 for partial ownership. There is a range of dwelling types from single bedroom flats to bungalows through to four bedroom houses. These properties have been designed by local architects Lovell Ozanne and Partners to give a pleasant and friendly environment to build community. The development is now fully occupied
All of the properties are designed to ‘lifetime home’ standards and so cater for people with a wide range of needs. In particular, the 10 ground-floor apartments, seven bungalows and seven of the three-bedroom houses are designed for wheelchair users and people with restricted mobility.
The development incorporates outdoor spaces to encourage community within the estate, with separate areas for school children to play with seating for supervising parents, teenagers to meet together and play basketball or football and an area for adults to sit and enjoy.
Energy efficiency has been paramount in the design of these properties; hot water and heating supported by solar panels, insulation levels that exceed current standards and air tightness values that make these properties cost effective to run while protecting the environment.
GHA’s development manager Phil Roussel said:
‘It’s great to see the culmination of GHA developments in this area, creating properties that are desirable to be occupied. The difference in appearance of the new dwellings from the previous conurbation is just what we hoped to achieve, so we are delighted to see something very different on this site. Hopefully the design will encourage those living in Rue Jamouneau and Rue Sarchet to form friendships and community in their new environment.’
Housing Minister, Deputy Dave Jones said:
I’ve made no secret of the fact that the main reason I got into politics was to replace the old, tired Grand Bouet estate with modern social housing, and to rejuvenate the area in the process – that was the ambition. Now, three years since the last property on the Bouet was demolished, and with the help of the Guernsey Housing Association, that ambition has been realised. The completion of Rue Jamouneau marks the start of a new era for tenants and homeowners alike.’
Land and a grant from the Housing Department funded 30% of the total cost of the development. The remaining 70% was funded from a bank loan from the RBSI, which GHA will pay back using rental income.
Posted: 23 May 2014