Matson scheme for affordable new homes and community food hub
Councillors at the city council will decide whether to agree the innovative deal and give a patch of land next to School Lodge on Matson Lane, to Gloucester City Homes (GCH) in exchange for School Lodge.
GCH are hoping to build nine affordable new apartments on the site which would be available for rent, subject to planning permission.
The council would then lease School Lodge, formerly the entrance lodge for the Grade II listed Selwyn House, to community group, Together in Matson for use as a not for profit community food hub.
Together in Matson who are raising funds to refurbish the lodge, intend to rent out the first floor as holiday accommodation to maintain the building and support the food hub.
The bold new initiative would also see the project provide training and volunteering opportunities for local people.
If it goes ahead, the scheme would be in the spirit of partnership elsewhere in the city where the council and GCH are working together to improve facilities for residents.
Councillors at the cabinet meeting will also discuss negotiations with GCH over council owned land in Podsmead to enable the regeneration of the estate.
Councillor Stephanie Chambers, Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Strategy at the city council, said: “This is a great example of where the council can work together with partners and the community to provide affordable new housing and residents with the facilities that they need. It’s a win win for all parties. We’re particularly delighted that Together in Matson are keen to take on the lodge and believe it will be well received by local people as somewhere residents can get together and meet other members of their community.”
Vanessa Worrall of Together in Matson, said they wanted to bring the ‘community together to have fun’.
“The food hub will be an ice cream parlour in the summer and a Jacket Potato Shack come winter. We’ll be partnering with Matson Anglers who will work on the Lake area so it develops into a beautiful nature area that community can sit and eat during the day and evening. Together In Matson will be using the space to do more youth and family activities as well as putting in some new team sports including a football team for Matson and Robinswood.”