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Community Led Masterplan
Together these elements (purpose, reflection, ownership) create communities that are highly engaged in their own growth, supportive of people around them and enabled in creating better lives for themselves. To illustrate these concepts the previous report created a series of inspirational scenes to spark discussions within the local area and encourage people to start thinking differently about how their spaces and homes could better support them.
The strategies for discovering/achieving an individual’s purpose on personal, neighbourhood or local level requires experimentation and experience. In this way, finding the tactics to achieve one’s purpose is dependent on a safety net within which experimentation can occur with lower risks. One of the key elements of the brief would be the provision of support and training into areas of interest for residents and others in the wider community.
Client
Rooted In Homes
Location
Allerton, Bradford
Budget
TBC
Collaborators
Playground - engagement events and initial analysis
Neil McKenna - planning consultancy
Local community of Allerton
Downloads
Allerton Rising
A home should offer safety, support, and the opportunity to thrive but for many, this ideal is far from reality. Housing can often be a source of stress, financial strain, or, in the most tragic cases, unsafe conditions. This project aims to rethink housing as a foundation for positive change, embedding the benefits of home within a supportive network of professionals and neighbours to foster an intentional community.
This proposal imagines such a community on the site of the former Merrivale Arms pub in Bradford, under the stewardship of the Allerton-based charity Rooted In Homes. Identified for residential development since 2011 in the Bradford Local Plan, the site is envisioned as supported housing for local families. The homes would be subsidised and coupled with wrap-around support from Rooted In Homes and associated professionals, creating an environment where residents can access guidance, encouragement, and opportunities for personal growth.
The development is designed to accommodate a range of needs: whether helping individuals step onto the housing ladder for the first time, escape challenging personal or financial circumstances, or live within a more connected and supportive communal environment, these homes provide a stable and empowering backdrop to improve life outcomes.
Beyond the immediate benefits for residents, the scheme seeks to act as a model for hyper-local regeneration, demonstrating how supported housing can strengthen communities. By fostering stability, connectivity, and opportunity, the project aims to generate wider economic, social, and civic benefits across Allerton, setting a precedent for how housing can be a catalyst for personal growth and community renewal.