NEW council homes have sparked questions as the ramp up to the front door ends in a step, rendering it inaccessible to wheelchair users.
Located opposite the town’s large Tesco store, the ten homes at Great Barn Court are Bath and North East Somerset Council’s newest council homes. But they have sparked some concern on social media, as Keynsham residents were quick to notice that the ramp leading to the entrance of block two ends suddenly in a step down to the pavement.
One person wrote: “Is this what is classed as accessible housing these days? A step onto a ramp!”
Local councillor Alex Beaumont (Keynsham North, Liberal Democrat) said he had raised the issue with the council’s building company Aequus. He said: “I haven’t seen anything like it!”
The council’s cabinet member for housing Matt McCabe (Bathavon South, Liberal Democrat) said: “While the development fully complies with planning and building regulations and all the accessible properties are in Block One, site constraints mean the current entrance to Block Two doesn’t provide the level access we originally sought and this is being addressed.”
He added: “However, this shouldn’t take away from this achievement and the council’s commitment to meeting housing needs in our area.
“We are really proud of this scheme - taking a small plot of land and investing in building affordable homes, which have made a real difference to people’s lives.”
The homes were built as part of Bath and North East Somerset Council’s project to turn land it owns but does not use into new council houses.
The first homes in the scheme were seven flats built in what had once been council offices in Bath. The ten homes in Keynsham were built on a council-owned patch of land behind the High Street which had previously been used for informal parking.
The original plans stated that Block Two was not intended as wheelchair accessible accommodation. The planning application said that, because the site was so small and constrained, it was decided not to include wheelchair accessible homes which would require more space and lifts. It stated: “The proposed designs ensure that the site maximises the density / number of new affordable dwellings.”
Announcing that the homes were ready for people to move in earlier this month, Mr McCabe said: “Every new affordable home we deliver makes a real difference to people and families who need somewhere secure, high-quality and affordable to live.
“These are modern, energy-efficient homes that will be cheaper to heat, helping residents with the cost of living while reducing carbon emissions.”
Other developments in the project are planned at Bath Western Riverside on the city’s former gasworks, Bath Quays North, Bath Quays South and a number of smaller sites across the district.
The new homes in Keynsham will be owned directly by Bath & North East Somerset Council and let through Homesearch. Three of the apartments were set aside for young people who have been in care.