What this means for Preston

Our vision for better homes, facilities and spaces in Preston 

In October 2025, we outlined our vision and goals to deliver improved homes, shops, community spaces, open and green spaces, and better routes and connections. Together, these investments create an opportunity to provide benefits for the whole community and improve the Preston area overall.

Since then, we’ve continued to develop the proposals, guided by what you told us and what can be delivered – both in the short term and in the future. Details of these proposals are set out on the following pages: Emerging Proposals, Emerging Housing Plans, and Landscape Ambitions, which show our plans for homes, facilities, open spaces, and the long-term vision for the area.

The goals for renewing Preston, first shared in July 2025, continue to guide these proposals, and are set out below.

Our key goals

We are working towards the following key goals and have started by completing a review of all Raven buildings.

Review of all Raven homes, buildings and open spaces This review helped us understand where we could make improvements through upgrades and where redevelopment is considered the best option.

Meet our sustainability and net-zero commitments:

  • All Raven homes to achieve an EPC rating of C or above by 2030

  • Aim to achieve Net Zero Carbon* by 2050.

Improve green and public spaces to better support play, wellbeing and nature. This means creating spaces that feel safe, promote community use and boost biodiversity.

Deliver future-proofed, energy-efficient homes powered by sustainable sources that are better for the environment and cheaper to run.

Opportunities for more homes
We are carefully reviewing the area to see if or where new homes could be introduced to help deliver much-needed affordable housing.

Enhancing Local Centres
We’re looking at how we can increase and improve facilities and community spaces, and enhance outdoor spaces.

Improving Routes and Connections
We want to make it easier, safer and more enjoyable to move around the neighbourhood, especially for pedestrians and cyclists. This includes upgrading key routes to local centres and ensuring they are safe, accessible and welcoming for everyone.

*Net Zero Carbon means not adding extra greenhouse gases to the atmosphere - by introducing energy-efficient measures and offsetting any remaining emissions through actions like tree planting - so the amount we produce equals the amount we remove.

We understand that our renewal proposals would be a big change, and we want to hear your views. The plans are continuing to emerge and nothing has been finalised or agreed. We will work closely with the community as the proposals develop and will hold regular events and engagement opportunities so everyone can see how the plans are evolving, share feedback, and speak directly with the team.

Key points to bear in mind are:

  • These are emerging plans and nothing has been finalised or agreed

  • We will work closely with the community as the proposals develop, with ongoing events and engagement opportunities planned

  • Our investment plans would take a number of years and the bigger changes would take place in stages

  • The redevelopment of homes would not start for at least two years

  • Directly affected residents are being fully supported throughout the process.

Why we are proposing some redevelopment

Raven has been upgrading homes, buildings and open spaces in Preston for a number of years as part of our ongoing review, maintenance and upgrade programme to ensure they are fit for the future. Our review has helped us understand where our investment will have the most positive impact. This includes showing which Raven homes will benefit most from upgrades and which require redevelopment as upgrades will not deliver long-term improvements.

There are a small number of homes and shops that are becoming increasingly difficult and costly to maintain to modern standards. Our review and feedback from residents highlighted the following issues:

  • Ageing buildings from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s

  • Expensive to heat and look after

  • Cold, draughty or stuffy inside

  • Outdated in terms of layout, design and sustainability

  • Hard to move around in, especially if you have mobility needs.

Without rebuilding, these homes will become harder for residents to live in and harder for Raven to maintain. That’s why we are proposing to redevelop these homes and shops as part of Preston’s wider renewal.

This is also an opportunity for Raven to maximise benefits for the wider area, renewing and improving open and green spaces, community facilities and shops as well as routes and connections through and within Preston.

A collaborative approach to deliver real change

Creating lasting change takes more than one organisation. While Raven is leading this work, we can’t do it all alone. This is why we are working with our partners, including Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, Surrey County Council and other service providers in the area, to deliver improvements that reflect what matters most to you.