A unique project near Salisbury which will see the UK’s first purpose built campus for service veterans has been honoured at a top national awards ceremony. The Wilton Hill scheme at the former Erskine Barracks was highly commended in the category for Planning for Housing Growth at the Planning & Placemaking Awards. The annual awards recognises projects which are improving local areas. The scheme was up against seven others shortlisted in the category. The project is the creation of regeneration and development specialists Our Enterprise who is working alongside Redrow Homes and planning consultants Terence O’Rourke. They’re creating the UK’s first major housing development built with returning military personnel in mind. Alongside 292 private homes being built by Redrow Homes, Our Enterprise will build a community based campus for service veterans with homes, an enterprise hub, crèche, care home and retail units. This element of the project is being managed by Our Wilton, a community interest company and charity created by Our Enterprise. It will include at least 44 homes for veterans who will rent the units for a period of between six and 24 months while they receive business and skills training. They then move on to make room for another veteran. The hub will offer training and help for veterans to launch their own businesses and will sit alongside facilities for up to 60 other local businesses. Planning has been granted for the project and building work is due to begin later this year with completion expected in 2017. CEO of Our Enterprise, Matthew Bell said: “We were really pleased to receive the award, both for the recognition it brings to our service veterans campus and because it acknowledges the fantastic help we have received from ToR in obtaining planning. Thank you to all the judges who supported the.” Tim Hancock, managing director of Terence O’Rourke, said: “We are delighted to have won ‘Highly Commended’ for the Planning for Housing Growth award which recognises the excellent work undertaken by the team.” Technical director, Nick Guildford added: “Wilton Hill, as well as providing much needed homes in Wiltshire, is also taking on a unique project to provide facilities for veterans on a former military base. We are thrilled such a worthwhile development has been acknowledged.” Andrew Dicker, Technical Director from Redrow Homes Southern Counties said: “As one of the founding members of Our Wilton, we are extremely proud to be part of this pioneering project at Wilton Hill. “The scheme is testament to how working in partnership can bring huge economic and social benefits to communities. It’s something completely new, which makes Wilton Hill a truly unique development. We hope Redrow Homes’ part in the creation of the development will not only be able to provide veterans with new homes but also help bring together the community, retaining the military ethos at the heart of the development. “We are thrilled that Wilton Hill has been recognised at this year’s Planning Awards – it’s a credit to the whole team who have worked very hard to make this a reality.”
The UK’s first purpose-built campus for returning military personnel, Wilton Hill in Salisbury, has been highly commended at the Planning & Placemaking Awards, in the Planning for Housing Growth category. It is the creation of Our Enterprise, working with Redrow Homes, and planning consultants Terence O’Rourke. Redrow will build 292 private homes alongside Our Enterprise’s community-based campus, containing an enterprise hub, care home, retail units, a creche and 44 homes, which will be available for veterans to rent for between six and 24 months whilst they receive business and skills training. A new £60m development on the site of the former Royal Hospital Chelsea is being built by developer Lend Lease.