In 2018, the first members of the community moved into their new homes on our flagship Hull development, Attraction in Kingswood. The multiphase, mixed tenure site is still undergoing development, with the first phases already established and a further phase still in build and welcoming new residents every day.
To date, over 250 residents call Attraction home, with many more reserving plots right up to 2027 when the final homes will be completed.
The development is a mixture of tenures, ranging from full and shared ownership through to social and private rental. Working with the local authority and key stakeholders within the community, we established a mix that would best suit the existing housing needs of the community and support more accessible housing for everyone. The first phase saw 16% of the homes built for affordable housing schemes, with a further 17% set to be delivered on the second phase..
The placement and design of the development was carefully considered to interact with the local school and we supported the delivery of the new local centre of Kingswood. This provides retail space for a combination of national and local independent businesses, to strengthening the local economy and supporting education in the area. As of December 2023, in partnership with Keepmoat, Homegroup and Priority Spaces as part of the Hull Citywide Partnership scheme, we have contributed to the creation of 376 jobs and 47 apprenticeships, upskilling and supporting the local workforce in the region. We’ve also plans to contribute £1.5m to local education throughout the duration of the phases.
To engage the existing local community and to help foster this relationship between the already established areas and the planned development, Strata ran a competition as part of the City of Culture in Hull to name the streets. Some of the winning names included Amy Johnson Way (after the famous female pilot born in Hull), and Larkin Lane (after Phillip Arthur Larkin, the poet who derived much inspiration from his time living in Hull). The competition saw a fantastic uptake and brought the wider community together, sharing knowledge on the rich cultural history of their city.
Today, the community at Attraction is thriving, with regular events hosted over the years at the Welcome centre on site, with an open invite to all the community across the development’s phases to encourage a connection to thrive and grow.
These events include Fika coffee mornings, where residents and those who haven’t yet moved in can come together and meet neighbours, form connections and create a sense of community for everyone. Dog walks have also proved to be a popular way for the community to meet up and enjoy human connection while boosting their physical health and wellbeing through connecting with nature and remaining active. Over the years a number of seasonal events hosted at the heart of the community (the Welcome centre and show homes) have seen great attendance, from pumpkin flowers and spring wreath workshops, to potted herb gardens and Easter egg hunts to name a few.
To encourage a sustainable and enjoyable environment for everyone to call home, various aspects have been considered as part of the masterplan for the multiphase development. Cycle paths have already been installed on the first phases across the front of our development to Wayne Road, to encourage sustainable and active travel for both Strata residents and the wider community. Large open spaces, including community allotments are being created to encourage access to more sustainable food sources and provide more outdoor spaces for education and enjoyment. Closer to home, designated spaces for bins have been allocated to each plot, along with water butts, to encourage recycling and waste segregation to support a more sustainable lifestyle in their homes.
Existing wildlife habitats have also been taken into consideration, with established hedgerows and trees maintained as part of the masterplans for the layout. Green open spaces, accessible by the wider community, have also benefited from a variety of grass and clover species to provide a low maintenance space for the community to enjoy, as well as pollinator strips to support the local bee population. In addition, throughout the development bird and bat boxes have been added as well as log and grass rot piles, designed to create habitats for bats, garden birds, mammals and invertebrates to thrive.