Residents in a Gloucestershire village have been invited to have a look at our plans to regenerate more than 50 properties and replace them with modern, energy efficient homes.

Parish and district councillors were invited to Tuesday’s consultation event in South Cerney to learn about our plans to redevelop the properties in Berkeley Close. They were joined by customers who are living in the existing properties, their neighbours and parents and staff from the nearby school. In addition to seeing the draft plans for the new homes we’re planning to build in their place, visitors could also learn about some of the features we’re considering using in the new homes, such as air source heat pumps and vehicle electric charging points, as well as the work we’re undertaking to ensure there are no drainage issues on the site.

Anyone who was unable to attend the consultation event but would like to view and comment on our plans can do so on our Berkeley Close regeneration page. The consultation closes on 1 May.

After this we will review all of the comments we’ve received, before submitting our plans to Cotswold District Council in early summer. Subject to receiving permission from the council, we hope to begin the demolition of the first of the existing properties in early 2024.

All of the properties in Berkeley Close in South Cerney were made using pre-cast reinforced concrete in the years immediately following the Second World War as a quick solution for the country’s housing shortage. But their condition has deteriorated over the years and they experience issues with damp and draughts and they are expensive to keep warm. Following a review of their condition and the cost of maintaining them in the future we decided that investing in new energy-efficient homes would be the best long-term solution for us and our customers.