Chesil Lodge now on “Home Straight”
Winchester Council’s City Centre Extra Care development, Chesil Lodge is now in its final phase with completion planned for November. Councillors discussed the scheme and reviewed the overall costs at the recent meeting of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Final costs for the scheme are projected at £16.8m, some £1.4m (9%) higher than original estimates. Whilst some of this increase relates to unforeseen works as part of excavation and archaeology of the site, much of the increase is as a result of decisions to improve the overall design quality of the development.
The additional costs have been fully funded from additional grant, increased sales income and from contingencies held in the Council’s Housing Revenue Account.
Hampshire County Council has provided additional funding towards the cost of the day centre included in the scheme and an extremely generous bequest from a local benefactor has also helped fund the development. The scheme has also benefited from Government grant.
Cllr Caroline Horrill, Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing said:
The original scheme included a number of compromises and measures to reduce costs. However, quality has always been a key driver for the project and the final scheme has improved insulation and energy efficiency compared to the original design. This, along with solar panels will help reduce residents energy bills.
We have included additional safety measures including a sprinkler system as well as a number of innovative technologies to make sure the building is not only efficient but also a joy for residents to live in.
I am really pleased the Council has been able to fund the improvements to the scheme. The final building will be a high quality design that meets the needs of residents and something that the City Council is rightly proud of.