More than 300 Sheffield families now have the comfort of a new home as building work draws to a close on two major housing schemes in the city.
Delivered by an award winning partnership — regeneration specialists ENGIE, Sigma and Sheffield Housing Company (SHC) — the duo of developments at Prince’s Gardens in Manor and East Hill in Norfolk Park are part of a £43m housing investment.
The success of the developments contributed to the partnership achieving Public Private Collaboration of the year at the recent Insider Property Industry Awards.
The £32m scheme at Prince’s Gardens includes 163 three- and four-bedroomed homes for private rent under Sigma’s Simple Life brand, and a further 93 three- and four-bedroomed homes for open market sale, through Sheffield Housing Company.
The development has a strong connection with nature with a large recreational open space area at Woodthorpe Ravine to the rear of the site where natural ponds which provide natural management of surface water have been encouraged to form and in which wild-flowers thrive.
The 77 homes at East Hill, a project with a value of £10m, are a combination of 19 three- and four-bedroomed homes for open market sale through Sheffield Housing Company and 58 three- and four-bedroomed homes for private rent through Sigma’s Simple Life brand.
The new developments have recently been given the seal of approval by Sheffield City Council’s Deputy Lord Mayor and Manor Castle Ward Member, Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards, who visited Prince’s Gardens to see the new homes first hand and to hear more about the benefits the development has brought for the community.
Councillor Paul Wood, Executive Member for Housing, Roads and Waste Management at Sheffield City Council, said: “Good quality, affordable homes are vital to meeting the growing need for housing in Sheffield and in ensuring that residents have access to comfortable places to live in well-designed neighbourhoods. We’re working with our partners across the city to create high quality communities such as Prince’s Gardens that are well-located, close to amenities and offer the ability to both rent and buy. I am pleased to see the completion of this project and wish everyone the best of luck in their new homes.”
Nathan Brough, Regional Director at ENGIE, said: “It is a real pleasure to work alongside our partners to help breathe new life into the area surrounding these schemes.
“I’m thrilled that we have inspired a new generation of construction workers and that we have been able to make a difference to those who are moving in and those who are a longstanding part of the community.”
The Prince’s Gardens and East Hill developments contributed to creating seven apprenticeship posts. Throughout the course of the work, in the region of £25.1m has been spent with local suppliers, boosting local employment and the economy.
Lee Catterall, Senior Project Manager for Sigma on behalf of Simple Life Homes, commented: “We’re delighted with the quality and demand for the homes across these sites. The success of both developments has been testament to the different strengths and expertise that each party has brought to the table, from quality of build and specification, property management, regeneration and community building.
“As a landlord, Simple Life will be present on these developments for many years to come and we’re committed to supporting the new local community to flourish well into the future.”
Steve Birch, Interim Project Director with SHC, a partnership between Sheffield City Council, Keepmoat Homes and Great Places Housing Group, added: “It is fantastic to see the addition of more homes, of all tenures to the city’s housing stock.
“We have many more similar projects in the pipeline which are not only improving the quality and choice of housing but providing job and training opportunities and work for Shefield regional businesses that supply materials and development services.”
Additionally, funding from the Department of Education, ENGIE and Sheffield City Council has enabled local young people to get a taste of the world of construction through the Building Block project. Building Block is a four-week progamme where participants sit a Construction Skills Certification Scheme health and safety test before completing a site-based placement, where they gain hands-on experience in a working environment. Altogether, 400 candidates have been a part of the course and 200 have progressed to secure long term employment.
Activities to engage residents near to Prince’s Gardens have included an £8,000 donation to local primary school, St Theresa’s, which has been used to build a new library and purchase new books for the children. The library has been transformed with a new sensory roof, reading pods, a den and mezzanine area. A further £5,000 was donated to the school to create a relaxation and sensory room for the children.
