Flats at the Park Wood estate

by Anna White

Giving up a rundown one-bedroom flat is a small price to pay when a higher standard home and a £5,000 payout is on offer.

It’s hardly surprising that none of the 544 tenants affected by a major overhaul of Park Wood has complained about leaving their homes, as each of them will receive an impressive compensation package from Golding Homes.

More than £2.5million of the social housing provider’s £38million project will be spent on moving people out of the 236 flats which are due to be demolished to make way for 191 new properties.

Everyone expected to move out will receive £4,700 for the inconvenience - even if they transfer to another unaffected property on the same estate.

The first phase of the Wallis Fields scheme, which involves 100 homes in Wallis Avenue, Longshaw Road and Brishing Lane, including Fairfax House and Washington House, was granted permission at a recent meeting of Maidstone council’s planning committee.

Brian McGrath was one of the tenants who has been moved out of phase one of the Park Wood regeneration project

Seventy-six tenants have already been relocated - with their “reasonable” moving costs covered by Golding Homes - and pocketed the statutory £4,700 home loss payment funded by the government.

Brian McGrath, 67, lived in a ground floor flat in Wallis Avenue for 11 years and was more than happy to move to a bungalow in Reculver Walk, Shepway.

The retired postman said: “I liked living in Park Wood but it’s one of those things and I didn’t mind, especially as I was lucky enough to get a bungalow.

"The money was great as I was able to buy new furniture and help out my family but I’m going to be careful and not spend it all at once.”

Mr McGrath decided against relocation in an unaffected part of the housing estate and, if he opts to return to one of the new properties, he will have to go through Maidstone council’s allocation system.

Work is expected to begin on phase one by the end of the month.

A planning application for the final stages, which includes Balmoral House, Belvedere House, Grosvenor House, Nelson House, Reading House, Thanet House, the shopping parade and flats above it, is expected to be submitted in the next few weeks.

Residents in phases two and three were invited to view plans at the Fusion Healthy Living Centre, off Wallis Avenue, on Wednesday.

It’s hoped the whole project will be complete by March 2015.