The diggers are on site and work has kicked off in Bestwood, Nottingham, to build 129 new council homes.
The homes, which are being built on land off Beckhampton Road, will consist of one-, two- and three-bed properties, including homes, flats and wheelchair accessible bungalows. All of which are in high demand from local families in the Bestwood area.
They are being built on behalf of Nottingham City Council by Nottingham City Homes and construction partner Lovell Homes and they will go to Nottingham households on the local council house waiting list at affordable rents.
These will be energy-efficient and low cost to run and they are the latest homes being built as part of the Building a Better Nottingham project, which has already seen over 680 new council houses built to date.
The site used to be a playing field for the former Padstow School, which closed more than a decade ago, but after consulting with Sports England, the field was no longer required for its former use and has been released for housing. However, nearly half of the site will be kept and improved for publicly accessible green open space.
The homes will be built over a two-year phase, with Pelham Architects designing the site.
Cllr Toby Neal Portfolio Holder for Housing and Human Resources at Nottingham City Council, said: “Nottingham needs a mix of all different types of housing and we believe these homes, flats and wheelchair accessible bungalows will help to meet some of this demand in Bestwood.
“Building, warm, safe, and energy-efficient new homes, not only regenerates sites which are no longer fit for purpose, but also encourages investment, creates jobs and helps to support local supply chain businesses.
“We’re really proud to see the start of works to build much needed council homes for affordable rent and it is just as important that we create green and open space, which the whole community can enjoy.”
Nick Murphy, Chief Executive at Nottingham City Homes, said: “It’s always an exciting time when we start on site at a new development, plus this is one of our biggest and most important new-builds to date so there is a real buzz about it.
“We have listened to our residents and looked at the council house waiting list and these type of properties are the ones most in demand in Bestwood. So, by working with partners, we are hoping to meet some of that need by creating these 129 safe, warm and modern homes. We look forward to seeing these fantastic homes take shape and to see the newly created larger green spaces being used by all the community.”
Tim Mansell, Lovell Regional Operations Director, commented: “It’s great to see work begin on a project that will make a tangible difference to local people in need of housing.
“Having opened an East Midlands office at the start of 2022, this scheme reflects our ability to deliver significant affordable housing developments through a dedicated team. This landmark project alongside Nottingham City Homes, who we are delighted to count as a customer, complements our growing East Midlands portfolio and demonstrates our long-term commitment to the region.”
Header image shows: Reece Williamson (Lovell Development Co-ordinator), Ellie Davis (Lovell Quantity Surveyor), Nick Murphy CEO NCH, Charlie Workman (Lovell Site Manager), Lovell Operations Director Tim Mansell, Counsellor Toby Neal Portfolio holder for housing(with the spade), Project Manager Luke Johnson, Alison Brown (Director property services), Councillor Ethan Hunt, Councillor, ward Counsellor Jay Hayes, and Dylan Cox (Lovell HSE advisor).
