St Mary’s Cottages & Shelford House, Southend

A.W. Hardy & Co. Limited secured this housing development in open tender to work with Genesis Housing Association Limited and in liaison with Southend Borough Council in order to provide new residential premises in the heart of Southend.

For many years the site of the former Shelford House hostel had been derelict, which (alongside the existing unoccupied St Mary’s Almshouses in West Street) left an unsightly appearance to the street scene. The solution to this problem was found by addressing a separate unrelated need for sheltered housing in the town.

The design and build project utilised the expertise of architects Tooley Foster to envision a housing solution for the council which supplied 13 Supported Living Flats for people with Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, associated support staff accommodation, 4 bedsit units to provide Respite Care, 8 bedsits for elderly people and other individual and communal lounge, kitchen and dining facilities along with an associated Management Suite.

The ambitious £2 million scheme in the Prittlewell Conservation Area of Southend on Sea retained the 6 St Mary’s Almshouses which were adapted and refurbished to provide 3 independent dwellings for the elderly. Alongside this retained row of cottages a new development incorporated the other facilities, outlined above, in a style sympathetic to the Victorian streetscape of the area. Use of traditional brickwork, render and clay roof tiles enhanced and emphasised the final built premises, creating an imposing overall structure in the locality but one that was in-keeping with its environs.

Each part of the development was provided with its own communal garden and new off-street parking was an integral part of the overall scheme.

The completed scheme achieved Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 which was partly made possible by the installation of a solar hot water system. Robust details were followed to deliver a useful, sustainable and attractive suite of buildings for the client and end-user.