By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
There are plans to knock down Swedish Timber Homes which were built in the Cotswolds to address the housing crisis after World War Two to make way for 17 energy-efficient affordable homes.
Stroud District Council wants more energy-efficient homes which would be fit for the future to replace the timber properties at The Avenue in Stinchcombe.
The authority owns more than 5,000 affordable rental homes and 21 of these are Swedish timber houses.
The prefabricated homes were bought by the UK Government from Sweden just after the Second World War as part of the support package provided to address the housing crisis.
And the council says the properties, which had a design life of 60 years, require major investment to bring them up to modern energy efficiency and quality standards.
Councillors are due to consider plans for the Stinchcombe properties at the housing committee meeting on November 4.
The site, which lies within the Cotswold National Landscape, is currently made up of three two bed and one four bedroom semi-detached houses with large gardens.
But the latest proposals would see 17 new homes built on the site, these include six one bed flats, half a dozen two bed houses and five three bed homes.
Stinchcombe Parish Council previously objected to the redevelopment unless a new scheme is similar in design materials and number of homes.
However the District Council says this would be unviable and they must maximise numbers of units on its sites both to support viability and help meet the increasing need for affordable homes.
Village residents who took part in an open meeting in January last year were also generally in favour of upgrading the existing buildings.
However, if this was not practical or economically feasible, they said they would favour replacement with houses of the same design in order to maintain the status quo.
They expressed deep misgivings regarding any statement of intent that redevelopment would respect the history of the original homes.
A Stroud District Council spokesperson said with thousands of people on their waiting lis for social housing and they nee dto build more homes.
They said the post-war Swedish timber houses are uneconomic to maintain and expensive to keep warm.
“With 3,000 people on our waiting list for social housing, we are acutely aware of the need to create more homes for rent.
“The Swedish timber houses are expensive to keep warm, and uneconomic to maintain.
“These are post-war pre-fabricated houses from the 1940s, bought by the Government from Sweden and intended as temporary housing,” a spokesperson said.
“We plan to replace them with 17 energy efficient modern homes for rental and shared ownership which will be high quality, and accessible for those with disabilities. They will be designed to reach an Energy Performance Certificate A rating to standards above current Building Regulations.
“We have listened carefully to the opinions of all stakeholders, and there will be an opportunity for the public to comment on the planning application when it is submitted.
“One of Stroud District Council’s five top priorities in its Council Plan is ensuring that the quality and quantity of homes in our district is enhanced, and that in the council’s role as a landlord our housing stock is good quality, energy efficient, safe, and fit for purpose.
“This scheme is an important part of that priority delivering additional, affordable homes through our new homes programme.”