Demolition work begins on Portchester sheltered housing apartment complex

Assheton Court, built in 1971, was made up of 33 sheltered housing apartments which were no longer fit for purpose.

Back in January of this year, Fareham Housing secured planning consent to build 60 age restricted sheltered housing apartments on the site.

FBC has worked with the remaining residents to help them move to new apartments at Sir Randal Cremer House, so that Assheton Court can be demolished and redeveloped.

Once completed, the new Assheton Court will provide sheltered housing apartments for the over 55s, with significant improvement in terms of facilities, accessibility, quality of build and layout.

FBC is taking a ‘greener’ approach wherever possible to ensure new homes and buildings are energy efficient, such as installing solar panels and air source heat pumps. Assheton Court will be no exception.

The existing building has also been stripped of anything that can be reused, with volunteers even coming in to remove all the plants and flowers to reallocate them elsewhere in the Borough.

Detailed technical plans for the development are being finalised in preparation for the tender process to start later this year to secure a building contractor.

Cllr David Foot, Executive Member for Housing at FBC, said: “I am delighted that this demolition work has finally started.

"It brings us one step closer to 60 new sheltered housing apartments which are so needed in the Borough.

"With all the Assheton Court residents happily relocated to Sir Randal Cremer House and joined by other tenants from around Fareham, I am confident we are fulfilling our objective to provide the right housing for those most in need.”

Fareham-born Sir Randal Cremer received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1903 for his work in promoting arbitration rather than war, and for founding the Inter-Parliamentary Union.