Official opening of new Southampton office
Southampton City Council’s commitment to creating vibrant and sustainable communities was underlined at an event to mark the official opening of a new office at Queens Keep by Raglan Housing, on Thursday 22 March.
Council Leader, Royston Smith, said he was delighted at Raglan’s decision to locate in the City: “Our local housing strategy aims to provide the highest quality homes in respect of design, condition, choice, value for money, affordability and management. Delivering these priorities is dependent on our valued partnerships with agencies such as Raglan, whose wealth of knowledge will help us drive the social and economic success of our City.”
Raglan Housing have signed a five year lease on offices at Queens Keep, Cumberland Place. A mix of staff are located there, including Development, Neighbourhood Services and IMS (IT) teams. Raglan’s Chief Executive, Nick Harris, officiated at the opening along with Councillor Smith and Raglan Board Member, Sheila Collins. “From a logistical angle, Queens Keep has been refurbished to a very high standard and is ideally located with good access to the train station and parking. From a strategic angle, it’s importantnot just in helping manage the 700 plus homes we already have in the City but in driving our plans for the 100 new homes that we are delivering here over the next one to two years.”
Sheila Collins added: “I think Southampton is an ideal illustration of where Raglan is fulfilling their ambition to become the market leader in high quality homes and a leading specialist provider of exceptional supported housing schemes. Across South Hampshire, we have a mix of almost 2,000 rented, shared ownership, supported and sheltered accommodation. Raglan Housing aims to serve all sections of the community, reflecting the Council’s own strategy of providing the right mix of housing to support social and economic growth. It makes absolute sense for Raglan to have a presence here and the new office is a result of our own strategic review which aims to move us closer to the communities and residents we serve.”
Councillor Smith confirmed that the Council would be partnering with Raglan Housing to redevelop an area of Queensway, a prominent site which forms part of Southampton’s Fruit and Vegetable Quarter and is a major redevelopment zone of the City. Plans have been drawn up to provide 38 new homes, 28 of which are specifically designed for families. Unusually for a city centre site, the scheme offers car parking and a key feature of the homes is that they all benefit from roof terraces and large balconies to maximise the outdoor space for families in a high density situation.