Far East Consortium (FEC) has secured planning permission for the next phase of their Red Bank Scheme, a joint venture project with Manchester City Council’s Victoria North. Passed by Manchester City Council’s planning committee on August 31st, the approval helps to unlock FEC’s ambitions to deliver up to 4,800 new
Bellway is set to start demolition works on the site of a former brickworks and council depot in Midhurst which will be transformed into an attractive development of new sustainable homes. There will be 69 homes at Thornley Grange, off Bepton Road in the West Sussex town. The northern part
Midlands-based homebuilder Spitfire Homes has secured planning permission for 371 homes across the Midlands in just one week. Leading the plans is a 280-home scheme in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, along with a further 61 properties located at a former Sandvik HQ in Halesowen, Dudley, and a collection of 30 new homes
Regional housebuilder Beal Homes has secured full planning permission to complete a £210m development in one of Yorkshire’s fastest-growing towns. The planning approval from East Riding of Yorkshire Council is for 600 homes, giving the green light for Beal to continue to deliver The Greenways in Goole. The Greenways is
A new site manager has won a coveted industry accolade just a year into the job, aged just 26.Ben Taylor, from Sutton Coldfield, was appointed site manager at Bellway West Midlands’ Green Oaks development in Hednesford last year. This time spent learning the job has now paid off, with Ben
Six Bellway Northern Home Counties site managers have been recognised for their high standards by being awarded a prestigious industry accolade. Cymon Robinson, Dan St Hilaire, Josh Croxford, Martin Elderton, Michael Crake and Ross Jenkins are among just 444 site managers from across the country to receive a Quality Award
The gap between leaving university and starting out in industry can seem a daunting one for many graduates. But for 23-year-old Josh Steadman, from Faversham in Kent, the process from a construction management degree to graduate trainee with Bellway was plain sailing. Josh, who is currently working on site at
LEADING developer Lovell Partnerships has welcomed two new recruits to support its growth across the North East. Ronnie Wake and Chris Hole have joined the team as buyer and senior quantity surveyor respectively, bringing together 13 years of industry experience. Since launching in December last year, the new appointments mean
Plans have been approved to build over 50 affordable homes and a 68-apartment extra care development, two miles from Bridlington Town Centre. The scheme has been brought forward by Esh Construction in a land led deal worth £25 million in partnership with Housing 21 and Yorkshire Housing. Earmarked for land
Barnet Council has signed an agreement with developer Redrow to acquire 249 new-build homes for affordable rent to the borough’s residents. In June, the council’s Cabinet Members voted unanimously to make the purchase, which forms one-quarter of the council’s commitment to deliver 1,000 new affordable homes by 2026. Most of
Far East Consortium (FEC) has secured planning permission for the next phase of their Red Bank Scheme, a joint venture project with Manchester City Council’s Victoria North. Passed by Manchester City Council’s planning committee on August 31st, the approval helps to unlock FEC’s ambitions to deliver up to 4,800 new homes in the emerging Red Bank neighbourhood across a range of tenure types and sizes, including affordable homes. The first, an outline planning application, is for the delivery of up to 3,250 homes and more than 160,000 sq ft of non-residential floor space to be earmarked for commercial uses, a health centre, primary school, residential amenities and community spaces. This will be accompanied by the creation of new public realm with extensive areas of landscaping, greenspace and wetlands, supporting a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain across the neighbourhood. The second approval is for a full planning application for FEC’s next phase of delivery on the three plots adjacent to the 634-home Victoria Riverside scheme, which is currently under construction. This will see the delivery of seven buildings varying in height between six and 34 storeys and comprising 1,550 homes, as well as a new high street that will include 20,000 sq ft of commercial and retail space earmarked for local independent businesses. The homes will comprise a mix of one, two and three-bed apartments and townhouses catering for a diverse mix of homes including build to rent (BTR), affordable and open market sale. Both planning submissions were centred on the Wild Urbanism concept, which prioritises green space, biodiversity, active travel and public realm as part of the city centre living experience, placing sustainable living at the forefront of the project. The buildings within the masterplan will be delivered to a high sustainability standard which will include the installation of solar panels, heat pumps and green and brown roofs. The masterplan and outline application proposals were developed in partnership with masterplanner Maccreanor Lavington and Copenhagen-based public realm specialist, Schulze+Grassov with support from local practice OP-EN and sustainability experts Useful Projects. The full application was created by Maccreanor Lavington in collaboration with Manchester-based practice Hawkins/Brown. Red Bank is one of the first of seven neighbourhoods being regenerated as part of the £4bn Victoria North project, which is one the largest in the UK and will create 15,000 new homes over the next decade. Hilary Brett, project director at FEC, said: “Red Bank is one of the most under-used areas in Manchester, but its proximity to the city centre and the existing natural assets of the River Irk and St Catherine’s Wood make it the ideal location for a thriving new neighbourhood. “We are delighted to have received approval and want to thank everyone who has been involved and supported the project to get us to this point. We’re excited to move forward with our next phases of delivery.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bellway is set to start demolition works on the site of a former brickworks and council depot in Midhurst which will be transformed into an attractive development of new sustainable homes. There will be 69 homes at Thornley Grange, off Bepton Road in the West Sussex town. The northern part of the site was a brickworks from 1913 to 1985 and has remained as industrial land, with the southern part of the site used as a West Sussex County Council depot. Bellway purchased the land earlier this month (August) with full planning consent already in place. The new community has been designed to complement the neighbouring woodland at Midhurst Common. The development will feature a central green copse area and existing mature trees will be protected and enhanced. Bellway has paid £100,000 to improve Midhurst Common and a further £12,660 to enhance wildlife habitats ahead of starting work on the site in September. Matt Hoad, Land and Planning Director for Bellway South London, said: “Thornley Grange will enhance this area of the South Downs National Park, replacing derelict industrial buildings with a sustainable new development. “The homes have been designed to reflect the architecture of buildings in Midhurst, including the many listed properties. This has created some intricate detailing within the elevations of the various house types. “In addition to funding enhancements to the nearby woodland, Thornley Grange will help to satisfy the need for more new homes in this sought-after town. “Demolition works will begin in the coming weeks and we look forward to creating an outlook that is much more fitting with these stunning surroundings than the industrial buildings which Thornley Grange will replace.” Bellway will build 44 homes for private sale, which will be two, three and four-bedroom houses. There will be 25 affordable homes, including one and two-bedroom apartments for low-cost rent and two and three-bedroom houses for shared ownership. The homes will feature electrical car charging points to encourage sustainable transport. There will also be a ‘Hedgehog Highways’ scheme, creating routes for hedgehogs to travel between gardens alongside bird, bat and dormouse boxes and wildlife habitats to enhance biodiversity at the development. Bellway South London has invested in communities across West Sussex, with work currently progressing on new homes developments at Indigo Park in Chichester, Elizabeth Square in Goring-by-Sea, Riverbrook Place in Crawley, Abingworth Fields in Thakeham, and Fallow Wood View in Burgess Hill. For more information see https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/south-london. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Midlands-based homebuilder Spitfire Homes has secured planning permission for 371 homes across the Midlands in just one week. Leading the plans is a 280-home scheme in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, along with a further 61 properties located at a former Sandvik HQ in Halesowen, Dudley, and a collection of 30 new homes in the Worcestershire village of Crowle. This latest success showcases Spitfire’s continued investment in the region, strengthening its pipeline of homes, meeting the demand from a range of buyers for quality, sustainable properties in the Midlands, and also supporting the employment of 1,150 people*. Despite the recent announcements, Ben Leather, Managing Director at Spitfire Homes, says the process of securing planning permission has been an extremely difficult and drawn-out process. “Despite our recent planning success, as an SME housebuilder we experience significant struggles with the current planning system on a daily basis – something that is felt throughout the industry. “Reserved Matters permission for one of these developments took almost 12 months to secure, despite being an allocated site in the Local Plan with Outline Permission already in place, and no objections from any statutory consultees. Another development on a brownfield site was challenged by unjustified design and highways requests, whilst staffing changes within the planning department further slowed the process which took over a year. “These are just some recent examples of how the current system prevents housebuilders from delivering homes that are needed in strategic locations within acceptable timeframes.” Housing Secretary Micheal Gove recently set out new measures that he hopes will unblock the planning system and enable the building of more homes in the right places where there is local consent. Developers will be asked to contribute more through fees, to help support a higher-quality, more efficient planning service, but Leather doesn’t think the changes go far enough to provide a deliverable mix of homes, of all tenures, to solve England’s housing crisis. “We support the principle of paying higher planning fees if it means Local Planning Authorities spend those additional fees on increasing the resources within their teams and it isn’t diverted to other Council departments. “With increases in interest rates, the cost for SME housebuilders to put sites on hold whilst waiting for planning approvals can be crippling for small businesses, so this change is absolutely essential to promote the future success of these businesses and ensure their continued contribution to the economy. “The recent Save Our SMEs campaign championed by the HBF further demonstrated the sentiment from housebuilders similar to Spitfire Homes, with 166 businesses signing the open letter to Government in response to recent policy amendments which remove the requirement for mandatory local housing targets, further throttling the amount of planning permissions granted for new homes. It’s vital housing targets are reinstated and are not reliant on conversion of commercial and agricultural buildings to provide more homes as advocated by Gove. “Increasing the quality and level of resource within the planning system is a significant step forward in the delivery of much-needed new homes.” To find out more about Spitfire Homes, please visit https://spitfirehomes.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Regional housebuilder Beal Homes has secured full planning permission to complete a £210m development in one of Yorkshire’s fastest-growing towns. The planning approval from East Riding of Yorkshire Council is for 600 homes, giving the green light for Beal to continue to deliver The Greenways in Goole. The Greenways is Beal’s largest-ever development, ultimately extending to 806 properties, and the biggest housing scheme in the East Yorkshire town for decades. The development is on a 73-acre site equivalent to almost 50 football pitches off Rawcliffe Road in Goole. Beal has now sold more than 180 homes at The Greenways, with continuing strong demand from a wide range of househunters. Many buyers been local people achieving their dream of owning a high-quality new home in their home town, as the Beal investment is addressing a shortage of new-build properties in Goole. The Greenways is a key element of an ongoing wave of investment in Goole, including a £200m-plus rail village being developed by Siemens Mobility and a worldwide distribution hub for FTSE 100 company Croda, which are creating hundreds of highly-skilled jobs in the town. Beal Chief Executive Richard Beal said: “We identified the rich potential of Goole many years ago now, as well as a pent-up demand for high-quality new homes in the town. “The strong sales we have achieved and the continuing high demand we are seeing at The Greenways has justified our confidence. “We’re now pleased to have secured full planning permission to continue our long-term investment and the critical contribution we’re making to Goole’s remarkable rejuvenation.” The 600 homes that have now received full planning consent will comprise a selection of East Yorkshire-based Beal’s most popular two, three and four-bedroom properties. Beal Land Director Chris Murphy said: “The Greenways has transformed the quality and variety of housing in Goole, providing luxury, contemporary homes for local residents as well as attracting new people to the town. “As the largest single development in our company’s history, securing full planning permission for the remainder of The Greenways marks another significant milestone in our delivery of this long-term scheme. “It builds on our proud history of delivering high-quality developments that enhance local communities, provide desirable places to live, and support economic growth.” The Greenways is playing a major role in the regeneration of Goole. Over the course of the development, Beal’s investment will secure the employment of almost 2,500 people in construction and related roles and in the local community. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new site manager has won a coveted industry accolade just a year into the job, aged just 26.Ben Taylor, from Sutton Coldfield, was appointed site manager at Bellway West Midlands’ Green Oaks development in Hednesford last year. This time spent learning the job has now paid off, with Ben – who started as an apprentice carpenter after leaving school – being named as a winner of the National House Building Council’s Pride in the Job Quality Award. He is one of just 444 site managers chosen from around 8,000 across the UK to be recognised in the competition. Ben said: “Hopefully this will be the first of many awards I can win as I lead the site team here at Green Oaks. Sheer hard work, long hours and persistence has led me to achieve this award. It’s been the highlight of my career so far.” Focusing on the needs of customers has been a key part of Ben’s success at Green Oaks, where around 60 per cent of the 74 homes have now been built. “I think one of the best parts of the job is getting good feedback from the customers through survey feedback,” Ben said. “We want customers to benefit from the quality of houses we build so it’s always important to have their needs in mind, even when we’ve just started building and houses haven’t gone on sale yet.“Green Oaks was one of the first Bellway sites to roll out Google Nest products and customers love this technology in their home. Many mention how it is user-friendly and easy-to-use in their survey feedback.“It’s been an absolute privilege to lead the team here at Green Oaks and deliver state-of-the-art and progressive homes. This Quality Award motivates me even more to complete the development to the best of my ability while continuously improving my skillset as a site manager.” Ben also hopes his early career success might inspire others to follow his path into the construction industry, where he says he benefitted enormously from learning from others on site.He said: “I worked for Bellway in assistant roles for four years so I have got to shadow other site managers leading various trade teams and got to know my colleagues. I grew in this role and that helped me to carve my own path and make the site manager role my own. “I now manage 60 to 70 people on site. I’d had experience leading teams before so this aspect of the job didn’t overwhelm me – I just ran with it. I’m fortunate enough to work with an amazing team.“I hope to inspire those at school or college who are considering a career in construction that you can achieve so much in such a short space of time and progress really quickly. You don’t necessarily have to be in construction for over 10 years to win accolades.” Ben is one of four Bellway West Midlands site managers to win Quality Awards this year. The others are Lee Aston, from Cecilly Mills in Cheadle, Paul Edwards, from The Spinney in Shrewsbury, and Jamie Smith, from Hatton Court in Hatton, Derbyshire. To find out more about the new homes being built by Bellway West Midlands’ award-winning site managers, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/west-midlands, while for more information about careers with Bellway, visit https://www.bellwaycareers.co.uk/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Six Bellway Northern Home Counties site managers have been recognised for their high standards by being awarded a prestigious industry accolade. Cymon Robinson, Dan St Hilaire, Josh Croxford, Martin Elderton, Michael Crake and Ross Jenkins are among just 444 site managers from across the country to receive a Quality Award this year in the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) annual Pride in the Job competition. The six colleagues work for Bellway’s Northern Home Counties division, whose head office is in Milton Keynes, and are based at developments in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.They were selected from a pool of more than 8,000 site managers whose sites have been inspected by the NHBC over the past year, placing them among an elite group within the industry. Pride in the Job was launched over 40 years ago and has since become one of the most prestigious competitions in the construction sector. For Michael Crake, senior site manager at Chamberlains Bridge in Leighton Buzzard, this is the first Quality Award he has won in his 22-year career in the industry – and comes during his first year with Bellway. The 40-year-old, who lives in Aylesbury, said: “It’s great to be commended for all our hard work and I am happy the team have got the recognition they deserved. Chamberlains Bridge is a good site to be a part of, with a desirable layout and great team. Everyone does their bit to ensure a smooth and efficient construction process. “This is most definitely a career highlight for me. The team and I have built a lot of homes at quite a pace, so this Quality Award shows that we’re doing things right.” Two of the award-winning site managers work at neighbouring developments on a dual-branded site in New Cardington, Bedford. Dan St Hilaire is based at Bellway’s New Cardington Fields development, while Josh Croxford is in charge at New Cardington Gate, a development being built under Bellway’s Ashberry Homes brand. Dan, 36, who lives in Bedford, joined Bellway in March last year, after moving into the construction industry following a career in the military and stints training as a gas engineer and working in security.He said: “It was amazing to receive the email from the NHBC telling me that I had won the Quality Award. I was on site at the time and went round thanking every member of the team for helping me achieve this incredible accolade, as it is very much a collaborative effort. “I am very grateful to Bellway for taking a chance on me and supporting me as site manager at New Cardington Fields and I am glad I was able to repay that faith. This is my first development as site manager, and to win this award is very gratifying and motivating.” Josh, 31, who lives in Northampton, has now won three Quality Awards, including two in successive years at New Cardington Gate. After serving in the Royal Marines, Josh entered the construction industry as a trainee site manager five-and-a-half years ago, joining Bellway in early 2021 as a senior site manager.He said: “I feel really pleased with this win, a third for me and a second in a row for this development. As Northern Home Counties’ first dual-brand site, to attain this achievement for two years in a row is validation of the graft put in by the whole team. “I would most definitely consider this win a career highlight to date. Winning three consecutive NHBC Quality Awards reaffirms that I am doing a good job and the fact our efforts have been recognised by an external body means a lot.” Cymon, 45, who lives in Northampton, has won his second successive Quality Award for his work at Wavendon View in Milton Keynes. He has been in the industry for over 20 years, including seven-and-a-half years with Bellway. He said: “I feel pleased to win this award on behalf of all those working with me onsite. My approach to work has always been to build every home as if it was my own. As we come towards the end of construction here at Wavendon View, the fact we have won for two years in a row is proof of the consistency that has enabled us to deliver five-star quality houses.” Ross Jenkins, 36, from Northampton, has achieved a long-held career ambition by winning his first Quality Award in recognition of his work at Hawthorn Place in Wellingborough. He said: “Receiving the news was incredible. To receive the acknowledgement for all the hard work my team and I have put in here at Hawthorn Place has really given us all great satisfaction. “I had set myself the target of winning a Quality Award from the start of the job so to achieve it was really rewarding. To receive a Pride in the Job is incredible and to do it on my first site as a site manager really is a huge achievement for me.” Martin Elderton, 39 from Higham Ferrers has been awarded for his work at Chestnut Vale in Wellingborough. Martin said: “Winning this award is a great achievement that all Site Managers strive to win. This is a first PIJ for me so receiving that email congratulating you is amazing. We work hard to produce homes for our customers that we can be proud of, so to receive recognition like this, is great. “This can only be achieved with a strong team around you that have the same goal. Bellway have helped support us in doing so, moving forward, I wish to win many more!” Iain Hunter, Construction Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “Quality is at the heart of everything we do at Bellway, so as a division it’s a real achievement to have six Pride in the Job award-winning site managers. I’d like to congratulate Cymon, Dan, Josh, Martin, Michael and Ross and all their teams for working together and putting their wholehearted efforts into delivering exceptional homes at our developments in Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire
The gap between leaving university and starting out in industry can seem a daunting one for many graduates. But for 23-year-old Josh Steadman, from Faversham in Kent, the process from a construction management degree to graduate trainee with Bellway was plain sailing. Josh, who is currently working on site at the Bellway at Rosewood development in Maidstone, joined the housebuilder’s Graduate Programme nine months ago straight after graduating from Leeds Beckett University. He had discovered the opportunity online while in his final year of study. He said: “It was a fairly simple transition from leaving university to being a Bellway graduate. I knew Bellway was a major employer in the industry, and after a friend of mine completed summer work experience and had a good experience, it made me want to choose Bellway.” During his degree, Josh learnt about the various aspects of what a career in construction management entails, from managing contracts to recognising the regulatory and economic environment the industry operates in.But it was only after getting his job at Bellway that he could apply his academic knowledge in the real world. He said: “In these nine months I have already learnt so much. My role requires me to manage projects and sub-contractors, order materials and enforce health and safety regulations on site. I really enjoy taking on this responsibility.” Josh has weekly catch-ups with his graduate mentor, Contracts Manager Mark Baldwin, who supports him with guidance about his job and his career progression. Although Josh has so far been based at solely at Rosewood, the scheme will give him the opportunity to rotate departments, gaining experience in commercial, technical, buying and more to get a better understanding on how the business as a whole functions. He said: “I feel like the scheme is well-rounded and I feel supported in my role. The team at Rosewood really appreciate my contribution, which is something that I feel particularly proud of.“One day I aspire to run a site on my own. I feel that the scheme makes this goal attainable and I feel grateful to Bellway for giving me this opportunity. “I would most definitely recommend the graduate scheme to friends and family and will always be thankful for Bellway for helping me start my career in the construction industry.” Bellway is part of the 5% club, a nationwide movement of employers committed to having five per cent of their workforce in ‘earn and learn’ positions, including apprentices and graduates on formal training programmes. Applications for Bellway’s 2023 graduate cohort has now closed, but for more information on other career opportunities with Bellway, visit https://www.bellwaycareers.co.uk/. Bellway is building a range of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes at Bellway at Rosewood, with more information available at https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/thames-gateway/bellway-at-rosewood. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LEADING developer Lovell Partnerships has welcomed two new recruits to support its growth across the North East. Ronnie Wake and Chris Hole have joined the team as buyer and senior quantity surveyor respectively, bringing together 13 years of industry experience. Since launching in December last year, the new appointments mean that Lovell’s North East team has already grown to a 30-strong unit, with further plans to continue its expansion over the coming months. Ronnie will be responsible for the buying, and sourcing of materials for the region’s sites, which will include researching the market, analysing sales data, and building relationships with both new and existing suppliers. Ronnie said: “Housebuilding and construction have always been a passion. I really enjoy sourcing the best quality products to enable us to build high-quality homes. “I’m so excited about my journey with Lovell and being part of the North East region as I’ve only heard good things about them. It is a team that is growing fast and has some great people in the business; and I’m delighted to be a part of that. I look forward to bringing some added value to help the supply chain increase its options, to ensure Lovell continues to produce the highest possible product that meets our customers’ aspirations for their future home.” Chris will be overseeing the commercial function, ensuring it runs smoothly and efficiently to support the developer’s ambitions for growth. Chris said: “What attracted me to the role was the opportunity to join a business with a new expanding team, with exciting but sustained growth plans. There are so many upcoming sites, which in the competitive market we find ourselves in, is excellent to see. “I hope to add some value to the region and play an important role in helping it achieve its strategy and success, whilst obviously not forgetting the day-to-day task of commercial robustness across the sites. It’s an exciting time to be part of the Lovell team and help deliver a five star product across the region.” Conor O’Hanlon, regional commercial manager at Lovell Partnerships in the North East, said: “It’s great to have Ronnie and Chris on board, and be part of the commercial team. It’s been extremely positive to have so many new recruits that are bringing fresh ideas and knowledge to the North East region. “They both have such vast experience in the sector and have already impressed the team. I’m really looking forward to working with them to support their continued journey in their career whilst realising our business ambitions.” The new appointments follow what has proven to be a strong year for the region, which this spring broke ground on its first development Cornish Park, in Spennymoor, County Durham. Once complete, Cornish Park will offer a selection of two, three, and four-bedroom new homes to suit a range of different buyers – 71 of which will be available on the open market, with the remaining 53 offering affordable housing. To find out more about Lovell Partnerships, please visit: https://corporate.lovell.co.uk/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans have been approved to build over 50 affordable homes and a 68-apartment extra care development, two miles from Bridlington Town Centre. The scheme has been brought forward by Esh Construction in a land led deal worth £25 million in partnership with Housing 21 and Yorkshire Housing. Earmarked for land off Pinfold Lane in the north of Bridlington which is allocated for residential development in the East Riding Local Plan, the inter-generational scheme meets an identified need for affordable housing in the area and homes for older persons aged over 55. A three-storey extra care building containing one and two-bedroom apartments and communal facilities, including a restaurant, hair salon and a resident lounge, will be managed by Housing 21. This will allow people to live independently in their own home, while accessing on-site care and support should they need it. For Yorkshire Housing, Esh will build a mix of two and three-bedroom houses, two-bedroom bungalows and one-bedroom ‘walk up’ apartments for affordable tenures, including affordable rent, shared ownership and rent to buy. Modern methods of construction (MMC) will be used throughout the scheme and 26 homes will be built with a timber frame. Laura Devaney, land and partnerships director at Esh Construction, said: “This land led scheme has been long in the making, therefore we are delighted to receive the go ahead from the planners. “With an ageing population it is important that we are building more new extra care housing to satisfy the needs of later life living options, as well as helping to meet the Government’s affordable housing targets. The development in Bridlington is an exciting project and we look forward to getting work underway next year.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Barnet Council has signed an agreement with developer Redrow to acquire 249 new-build homes for affordable rent to the borough’s residents. In June, the council’s Cabinet Members voted unanimously to make the purchase, which forms one-quarter of the council’s commitment to deliver 1,000 new affordable homes by 2026. Most of the new homes will be made available for rent starting in October 2023 with the remainder following in January 2024. The properties are part of the latest phase of the Colindale Gardens development and will offer 42 three-bed family homes and 40 that are wheelchair adaptable. The stock will also include studios, one and two-bedroom properties. Barnet Council will acquire the 249 homes through its Housing Revenue Account. The properties and communal areas will be managed by Barnet Homes, adding to its social housing portfolio of 13,000 properties across the borough. Cllr Ross Houston, Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes & Regeneration, welcomed the announcement: “As a council, we care for our people and that means providing high quality, affordable housing. We have seized this unique opportunity to take a big step forward in our commitment to deliver 1,000 council homes by 2026. “It represents really good value for money and will make considerable savings on temporary accommodation costs the moment new tenants are able to move in this year. “Delivering the right homes to meet diverse needs now and for future generations, that people can afford and are in the right places, is a key priority and challenge for the council. We are London’s second largest borough by population but have the sixth lowest stock of social housing. Many of our residents are deeply affected by the acute housing shortage and sky-high rents, so providing more genuinely affordable housing will help those at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis.” Paul Muldowney, Managing Director of Redrow London Division, commented: “At Redrow, our commitment to the local community and creating great places to live serves as the driving force behind our collaboration with Barnet Council. We believe that everyone should have access to secure, comfortable, and affordable housing, with this partnership marking a step towards making this vision into a tangible reality. “We’re proud that Colindale Gardens offers high specification apartments surrounded by open green space yet close to excellent amenities and travel links to enjoy the best of the city. In providing 249 new homes for affordable rent, we look forward to seeing our homes become vibrant spaces which seek to provide not just housing, but the foundation for a thriving community.” In March, the council announced sweeping new plans to improve housing in Barnet including enhancing social housing tenants’ security by moving from fixed-term to lifetime tenancies, and committed to investing £2.2m per annum for the next 10 years to tackle damp and mould in the council’s housing stock. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
