Lock Road

Ham, Paragon Community Housing Group

Description of Scheme

This development consists of four one bedroom apartments across 2 floors that cater for people with learning difficulties.

The scheme was designed in accordance with the London Housing Design Guide and utilising Brand's Living in the Community: Housing Design for Adults with Autism (2010) to account for the best practice specialist requirements of the prospective tenant group.

Living in the community within the Richmond Borough will enable the young people to have regular contact with their families and to maintain social networks that have developed during childhood. The Lock Road site is ideally placed in terms of proximity to open spaces (Ham Common, Richmond Park and River Thames tow path are all within easy walking distance), local shops (5 minute walk), two large town centres (Kingston and Richmond - both are one short bus ride away), and to local bus routes. There are a broad range of leisure opportunities that are accessible from Lock Road by public transport , including the YMCA Hawker Centre in Ham (gymnasium, café...) and The Kingfisher Leisure Centre in Kingston (swimming pool, gym, squash, sports hall) Additionally there is a health centre located on Lock Road itself.

In the local area there are two colleges of further education (Richmond and Kingston) and an adult and community college (Richmond) offering a broad range of specialist courses (full and part-time) for people with learning disabilities focused on developing employability and independence. There are established opportunities for voluntary work in the locality including The Conservation Volunteer programme (a number of young people with complex needs have already accessed this for work experience) and a new scheme that has just started in the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park for a group of young people with learning disabilities (working alongside "non-disabled" volunteers).

Where Is It?

Lock Road is located in Ham, a suburban district in south-west London which has meadows adjoining the River Thames where the Thames Path National Trail also runs. The area is a predominantly 1950's and Victorian housing with a mix of rent and private housing with some community facilities nearby.

Proximity

The Lock Road site is ideally placed in terms of proximity to open spaces (Ham Common, Richmond Park and River Thames tow path are all within easy walking distance), local shops (5 minute walk), two large town centres (Kingston and Richmond - both are one short bus ride away), and to local bus routes. There are a broad range of leisure opportunities that are accessible from Lock Road by public transport , including the YMCA Hawker Centre in Ham (gymnasium, café...) and The Kingfisher Leisure Centre in Kingston (swimming pool, gym, squash, sports hall) Additionally there is a health centre located on Lock Road itself.

In the local area there are two colleges of further education (Richmond and Kingston) and an adult and community college (Richmond) offering a broad range of specialist courses (full and part-time) for people with learning disabilities focused on developing employability and independence. There are established opportunities for voluntary work in the locality including The Conservation Volunteer programme (a number of young people with complex needs have already accessed this for work experience) and a new scheme that has just started in the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park for a group of young people with learning disabilities (working alongside "non-disabled" volunteers).

Relevant Local Strategy

This scheme has been developed in partnership with LB Richmond upon Thames and NHS Richmond. The provision meets the strategic requirements of the Borough including:

• Learning Disability Commissioning Strategy 2010-2103 (opens new window)
• LBRuT Community Plan 2007 and 2017 (opens new window)
• Borough Investment Plan 2011 (opens new window)
• Housing Strategy 2008-12 (opens new window)
• Homelessness Strategy 2012-2016 (opens new window)
• Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-15 (opens new window)

Facilities

The scheme incorporates a fully adapted wheelchair apartment and all units are being built to the Lifetime Homes standard. Two communal areas have also been provided, one with basic facilities for staff and the other a more generic communal living area to encourage engagement in social activities on the tenants own terms. The communal areas have been carefully designed so that they may be incorporated into two of the apartments at a future date to form two larger 2-3 bed units, for example, in the instance of a reversion to a General Needs let.

Address

Flats 1-4, 55d Lock Road,
Ham,
Richmond upon Thames,
TW10 7LQ

Scheme Location Map