Miller Road Project, Banbury

The Miller Road Project is an innovative new project to provide housing and training opportunities for young people who are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET).

Strategic partnership

The project is a unique partnership between Cherwell District Council who have provided the land, Southwark Habitat for Humanity who are developing the site and managing the construction process, Oxford & Cherwell valley College who are managing the vocational training opportunities. Connexions will provide the life skills coach and work with the young people to ensure that they achieve their full potential.

Construction

The scheme will consist of 10 one-bedroom, two person maisonettes . Although the design is simple and intended to be easy to construct for the young people to build, it will be built to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 which provides good environmental standards. Internally the maisonettes are formed with a layout that complies with space standards incorporated by many housing associations and comply with Lifetime homes standards and Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3.

The communal garden area will provide parking and a bicycle store.

The homes will be built with a mixture of skilled sub-contractors and the young people. The construction timetable is 14 months, which is longer than normal to give the young people an opportunity to fulfil their vocational learning.

Young People’s Training

The first cohort of ten young people has started on site and will complete their training in June. The second cohort will complete their training in December 2011. Southwark Habitat for Humanity will manage the site and ensure that high quality vocational training opportunities are provided within the construction process. The young people will work towards a National Open College Network Level 1 Award with a tutor from Oxford & Cherwell Valley College. This will give them the opportunity to take part in a number of building activities such as bricklaying, plastering, carpentry and painting and decorating and give them real life experience of the world of work.

There will also be a life skills coach from Connexions who will mentor the young people and ensure that they are able to move on to positive opportunities at the completion of the course.

Nominations and Letting

When the scheme is completed, it will be sold to Sanctuary Housing Association for affordable rent and managed locally by Charter Community Housing.

Nominations for the scheme will be to local young people who are in housing need. The young people who take part in the Miller Road Project will only be considered for a property if they are in housing need and in work, education or training. If they fulfil this criteria, then they are able to apply via Cherwell District Council’s existing allocations policy

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Funding

The Miller Road Project has attracted funding from a variety of sources including the Homes and Communities Agency [HCA] which has granted £520,000 from the National Affordable Housing Programme, Local Area Agreement Reward Grant of £162,000, Cherwell District Council £72,000, and £500,000 of private finance raised by Sanctuary Group.