LABC Warranty assists Thakeham in the restoration of Queen Anne statue

The restoration is part of a wider effort at Holmhurst, where Thakeham is delivering 208 new affordable homes to Southern Housing, one of the UK’s largest housing associations.

LABC Warranty has supported the Holmhurst St Mary development, providing structural warranty services to Thakeham, with Hastings Borough Council providing building control.

“Preserving and improving our environment and leaving a legacy for our communities is what Thakeham does and we are delighted to do that here at Holmhurst St Mary,” said Rob Boughton, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Thakeham. “The historic Queen Anne statue will be a fantastic feature for residents and the local community once it is fully restored and back in situ. Restoring this monument reinforces our commitment to going beyond delivering high-quality homes at our sites.”

The statue of Queen Anne itself, originally unveiled and displayed at St Paul's Cathedral before moving to Hastings, fell into disrepair due to a lack of ongoing maintenance, with overhanging trees and salty seaside rain accelerating damage. Combined with vandalism and graffiti to the statue, some in the area began to think of it as an eyesore.

Removed temporarily from its plinth, the state has been transported to a stonemason who is renovating the statue, removing spray paint and replacing five damaged heads from the overall statue and plinth.

“The restoration work is incredible, and we’re proud to be a part of the wider Holmhurst St Mary Development,” said Craig Ewles, Business Development Manager at LABC Warranty. “Delivering more than 200 new affordable homes is something we’re proud to be a part of at LABC Warranty - especially when those homes are driving the change to more sustainable housing with solar panels and other renewable energy sources, ground-source heat pump installations, and EV charging points.”

The new homes at Holmhurst will be split between affordable rent and shared ownership schemes, across two blocks of apartments and 177 two, three and four-bed family houses.

Holmhurst St Mary will also boast a pocket park for residents, along with a residential square shared by the new homes.

More about Thakeham

Visit the Thakeham website here to learn more about their work, or find them on LinkedIn here.