Chapel

Chapel was originally Victorian terraced housing, but following bomb damage in the Second World War and demolition in the 1960s, the area was used as a lorry park and for storage sheds. By the 1990s it had become a dangerous area and a red light district.

In 1998 Single Regeneration Budget funding was granted for the regeneration of the St Marys area. Chapel forms part of the strategy, bringing a new mix of residents to the area and linking nearby Ocean Village through Chapel to the town centre.

West Itchen Housing Partnership was formed in 1998 by Hyde Housing Association and Swaythling Housing Society to deliver the affordable units.

In 1999 community planning consultations were held to involve the local residents in the development proposals. Outline planning was granted in 2000 and a build contract tendered later in the same year. Gleeson Homes won the contract to build and sell the private units and they brought in Chetwood Associates as architects to design the scheme.

Gleeson Homes pulled out of the development in September 2001, leaving the whole project in doubt. However, Swaythling Housing Society stepped in as lead developer and obtained the land freehold from Southampton City Council to keep the scheme going.

Swaythling worked closely with Chetwood Associates and funded detailed designs for Chapel. Detailed planning was granted by spring 2002

The money spent on design detailing allowed tendering developers to price the build very accurately. Persimmon Homes joined as contractor and vendor in late 2002. Work on the site began in 2003 and the third phase is due for completion by summer 2006.