Brighton’s only not-for-profit housing company, Seaside Homes, together with the tenants of a notorious former squat have built a garden that provides fresh fruit and vegetables, beautiful flowers and an area where the children can safely play.
The £1m Victorian Villa stood empty for five years suffering from neglect and vandalism before local community housing company, Seaside Homes, leased the property and invested £1m to bring the property back into use as 16 individual flats.
Brighton & Hove Food Partnership grant
This community gardening scheme was funded by a £500 grant from Brighton & Hove Food Partnership. The Food Partnership also provided support and advice and assisted in the construction of raised planting beds so that tenants can grow and eat their own produce. The scheme will now become an official Community Composting site adding further self-sufficiency to the tenants.
Fun, flowers and food
All the tenants now have and interest in the garden and have now grown Strawberries, Tomatoes, French Beans, Runner Beans, Courgettes, Radishes, Gherkins, Cucumbers, Peppers, Aubergines and Chillies.
Brighton & Hove City Council allocated a 150 square-metre area from an adjacent development site that has been cleared and AstroTurf has been laid to allow the children to play safely. Additional support was received to provide external landscaping to improve the rear of the property and prepare the borders at the front of the property to allow tenants to sow wild flowers.
The tenants have continued to make improvements to the gardens of the property by working together with a number of local agencies and businesses. Seaside Homes’ staff also supported the project by working on-site alongside the tenants.
For more information please call Karen at Seaside Homes on 01273 732061
Seaside Homes was established by Brighton & Hove City Council to refurbish the council’s leased housing stock.
- By using commercial loan finance rather than council funds
- Over 400 council properties renovated
- £3.6m pa saving on nightly booked accommodation to the council
- £13.9m capital receipt paid to the council
- £7.4m invested in the council’s leased housing stock