A north Coventry housing development from top 10 housebuilder Keepmoat has been named the Residential Regeneration Project of the Year at a prestigious award ceremony. The Spirit Quarters development, which will breathe new life into a ‘derelict’ 1950s housing estate, was crowned the winner at the Midlands Residential Property Awards
Keepmoat and His Majesty’s Prison Service are tackling reoffending crime rates across Yorkshire with a new bricklaying academy, designed to enable prisoners to unlock employment opportunities on their release. One of the first of its kind in Britain, the academy at HMP Moorland near Doncaster will train, re-equip and provide
To align with the plans for regional growth Keepmoat has set for the company, Matt, who was previously Land and Planning Director at Persimmon Homes, Linden Homes and Redrow Homes, has been appointed to support the existing land teams in the housebuilder’s East Midlands and Yorkshire East regions. Based in
Homebuilder Keepmoat Homes is supporting its employee Kelly Clark, 57, from Rotherham, who will be representing England in the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in New Zealand in November, just eight years after she started powerlifting to improve her arthritis. Kelly was selected for the British team to compete in the World
Plans to create an affordable housing community in Cheddar are officially underway, following a confirmed partnership with Alliance Homes. Looking to bring much-needed homes into the area, partnership housebuilder Keepmoat, along with community based social housing provider, Alliance Homes, will transform the 5.8-acre site into a high-quality sustainable housing community.
A derelict former industrial site is set to be transformed following the appointment of a contractor. South Tyneside Council has appointed John F Hunt Regeneration Ltd to carry out civil engineering works on disused docks and former brownfield land at Holborn, South Shields. The remediation works will prepare the nine-hectare
Portable test enables testing to take place across 100 UK development sites Tests to be conducted in-house by Keepmoat’s nine regional Health and Safety Business Partners with results available on-site within minutes “The Intelligent Fingerprinting drug testing system is a stand-out product, and adopting it is an easy decision for
National housebuilder Keepmoat Homes has been granted planning permission from Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council for the delivery of 125 brand new homes in Exhall. The £26m development, Exhall Gardens, will transform the previously vacant site on School Lane and provide much needed housing to the area. Comprising a mixed
National housebuilder Keepmoat Homes has completed the purchase of a site on School Street, Thurnscoe, which will be developed in partnership with Homes England and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The site, situated within the Dearne Valley on the eastern outskirts of Barnsley, was previously owned by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council,
More than 60 construction jobs will be safeguarded or created by Keepmoat Homes which has started work on a new £14m housing scheme in West Denton, Newcastle. The deal to acquire the site from Newcastle City Council was completed last month – it is the latest in a line of
A north Coventry housing development from top 10 housebuilder Keepmoat has been named the Residential Regeneration Project of the Year at a prestigious award ceremony. The Spirit Quarters development, which will breathe new life into a ‘derelict’ 1950s housing estate, was crowned the winner at the Midlands Residential Property Awards 2023 in Birmingham last night. Now in its fifth phase, the development is set to provide Coventry with a thousand new homes and transform the formerly deprived quarter into an appealing destination, whilst generating jobs and reintroducing nature. The development also features modern methods of construction, including the use of timber frames and a prefabricated cassette roof system. This approach will improve insulation and energy efficiency, minimise disruption to local traffic and reduce site waste and its overall environmental impact. To achieve the ambitious goals of this landmark project, the housebuilder partnered with Citizen, Moat House Community Trust, Coventry City Council and West Midlands Combined Authority in the most recent phase. Amanda Bishop, Regional MD of the West Midlands, said: “We’re extremely proud and humbled to have won the Regeneration Project of the Year for our inspirational Spirit Quarters development. At Keepmoat we want to help develop communities and what better example than the former housing estates of Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm that had long since fallen into disrepair. “Now, the site boasts a thousand new homes, of which almost a third is affordable housing, attracting more than 900 new homeowners – replacing “no-go” zone with a lively new, urban neighbourhood. The influx of new families has also attracted new shops and amenities, creating a welcoming buzz, new jobs and cementing north Coventry’s status as an up-and-coming area.” Director of Regeneration at Citizen Housing Kevin Roach added: “Citizen are thrilled to be part of an award winning project that will deliver much needed housing in Coventry. Working with Keepmoat has been fundamental to the success of this project.” For more information about Keepmoat and its developments across the Midlands please visit www.keepmoat.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Keepmoat and His Majesty’s Prison Service are tackling reoffending crime rates across Yorkshire with a new bricklaying academy, designed to enable prisoners to unlock employment opportunities on their release. One of the first of its kind in Britain, the academy at HMP Moorland near Doncaster will train, re-equip and provide skills to prisoners due to be released within the next six to 12 months. The two organisations have worked in partnership with the National House Building Council, (NHBC), to deliver bespoke training that enables those preparing to integrate back into society with up-to-date skills and experience in bricklaying. According to a recent analysis from the Ministry of Justice, those leaving prison were significantly less likely to reoffend when engaging with a full time job, compared to those who did not. More than 300 prisoners are due to be released in Yorkshire over the next six months. The bricklaying academy will not only develop their skills in construction; teaching them how to use tools and equipment, mix cement and build various types of walls, but also give prisoners the confidence and belief that they can secure a job once released. The academy will also help to address the construction skills shortage. The industry needs almost 30,000 extra construction workers by 2026 to meet growing demand in the industry – a daunting challenge after the construction workforce dropped by five per cent in 2021. Tim Beale, Chief Executive at Keepmoat, said: “Of the hundreds of prisoners due to be released in the coming six months, a good number of them have previous experience working in trades. This presented an opportunity to help develop a programme to support those who wish to create a future career for themselves and ultimately, have a second chance at life. “This academy also forms part of our ongoing commitment to providing opportunities to people across the country, including in traditionally ‘left-behind’ communities. At Keepmoat, we are passionate about equipping the future workforce with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to build high-quality, affordable homes, as well as to help boost Britain’s regional and national productivity.” Paul Cole, Head of Reducing Reoffending at His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, added: “At HMP Moorland we prioritise the development of prisoners to enable them to gain meaningful employment opportunities upon their release. We’re proud to provide them with relevant skills and training, with an aim to help them find work and live law-abiding lives.” Geoff Mann, Qualifications Manager at NHBC, also commented: “The training will provide an achievable and realistic pathway into a rewarding and well-paid career in the house building industry and we’re delighted to see these prisoners and others from diverse backgrounds taking up this opportunity. “It’s vital we attract more people into house building to help address skills shortages and the challenge of an ageing workforce. It’s hoped the academy will help to support the next generation of house builders, equipping them with the skills to build high quality new homes for the future.” To find out more about Keepmoat and its work in local communities across the UK, please visit www.keepmoat.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
To align with the plans for regional growth Keepmoat has set for the company, Matt, who was previously Land and Planning Director at Persimmon Homes, Linden Homes and Redrow Homes, has been appointed to support the existing land teams in the housebuilder’s East Midlands and Yorkshire East regions. Based in Lincoln, Matt will be looking to fill gaps within the business’ development portfolio as the new Land and Partnerships Director, and secure land opportunities to ensure Keepmoat reaches its targets and fulfils its growth plans. His main focus will be to expand Keepmoat’s operations into the Lincolnshire area, covering towns such as Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Stamford, Grantham, and others, with a view to delivering much needed, energy-efficient homes that are fit for the future. “The East of the country, most specifically Lincolnshire and the East Riding, are areas of great potential for housebuilding, with some booming industries adding to the appeal, such as large-scale agriculture, engineering, and manufacturing. The region is also fantastically placed with towns such as York, Grantham, Newark and Retford having convenient rail and motorway connections, and there are some exciting developments proposed in North and North East Lincolnshire, which is also driving housing growth in the area,” said Marc when asked about his ambitions for the region. “I am keen to continue Keepmoat’s previous success of providing regenerated sites and thriving communities through our relationships with landowners, local authorities, land agents, and partners such as Homes England. Key to my role will be identifying and securing opportunities in the eastern corridor to push Keepmoat’s operational boundaries into Lincolnshire and strengthen its presence in East Yorkshire,” he added. Keepmoat is one of the UK’s leading partnership homebuilders and a leading brownfield builder. To align with the housebuilder’s aims, Matt will be leading on the negotiation and application for new land to regenerate into new communities. Together with local authorities and housing associations, he will continue to work towards the delivery of affordable, high-quality housing, as well as homes available for first-time buyers. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Homebuilder Keepmoat Homes is supporting its employee Kelly Clark, 57, from Rotherham, who will be representing England in the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in New Zealand in November, just eight years after she started powerlifting to improve her arthritis. Kelly was selected for the British team to compete in the World Powerlifting Championships in 2019, where she came 4th, and earned both bronze and silver medals with Team GB at the World Bench Press Championships in 2021. She has also won the title of British Equipped Bench Press Champion in 2020 and All England Equipped Bench Press Champion in 2022. These extraordinary qualifications have earned Kelly the chance to represent England in December at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships, run by the International Powerlifting Federation in Auckland, New Zealand. “Lifting weights has done wonders for both my mental and physical health, and what started out as some fun and seeing what I could achieve has enabled me to really believe in myself and be placed amongst some of the best in the country. To now have the same opportunity at the Commonwealth Championships in New Zealand is amazing. If someone had told me I would be this mobile, let alone competing in international competitions ten years ago I would never have believed them, and meeting and competing with incredible people along the way has been a dream come true,” said Kelly. Kelly works as People Development and Engagement Manager for Keepmoat in Doncaster, supporting people through leadership and soft skills training. The business will be supporting Kelly with costs such as flights and accommodation, as well as added paid annual leave to enable her to take part in the competition. “Without the support from Keepmoat I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this dream. The sponsorship in itself is incredible, but the amazing backing from my team and the agile working has allowed me to train for this opportunity. The business is really focused on developing people and communities, with values that align with my own, and this support has proved that,” she added. Keepmoat is a leading UK home builder that provides high quality, affordable homes across the country, developing areas of brownfield land and regenerating local spaces to build communities and transform lives. Kelly Clark will be jetting off to New Zealand on the 24th November, to compete on the 29th November. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans to create an affordable housing community in Cheddar are officially underway, following a confirmed partnership with Alliance Homes. Looking to bring much-needed homes into the area, partnership housebuilder Keepmoat, along with community based social housing provider, Alliance Homes, will transform the 5.8-acre site into a high-quality sustainable housing community. Bringing affordable housing to the Somerset area, Steart Farm will offer 29 homes under shared ownership, and 29 as affordable rent. Well positioned to local transport links, the development lies 10 miles south-east of J21 off the M5 motorway and 11 miles south of Bristol Airport via the A371 and A38, and the new community will feature a local play area, wildlife zone and public open space. Charlotte Goode, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat said: “We’re incredibly pleased to be working with Alliance Homes to help bring affordable housing to the village of Cheddar, which offers excellent transport links and open green spaces. “In keeping with our positive environmental practices, the Steart Farm community will be created with sustainability in mind and will be a gas-free development which uses air source heat pumps throughout. “Over the coming months we look forward to working with the local community and welcoming new residents to the area.” Iain Lock, Director of Investment at Alliance Homes said: “We’re really pleased to be involved with Keepmoat on this development. Not only will these 58 homes be a big step on our way to developing 2,000 homes over 10 years, but the environmental credentials of the homes meet our plans to be a green and ethical business. This site will be 100% affordable and that has been made possible thanks to a grant from Homes England.” The Reserved Matters planning application was approved in September 2022, and first completions are expected mid-2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A derelict former industrial site is set to be transformed following the appointment of a contractor. South Tyneside Council has appointed John F Hunt Regeneration Ltd to carry out civil engineering works on disused docks and former brownfield land at Holborn, South Shields. The remediation works will prepare the nine-hectare site for its transformation into a thriving riverside quarter for living and working, with high quality new public space. The plans will see a failing quay edge wall replaced with a new one and the raising of the former dry docks to overcome serious flooding issues. Three of the docks will be restored to preserve the area’s industrial heritage. John F Hunt Regeneration will focus on overcoming existing site constraints, including contamination, flood risks and an obsolete retaining wall, to ensure it is suitable for follow-on residential and commercial development. The site, which is currently split level, will be reprofiled to create a gentle slope from Commercial Road to the Tyne, making it more suitable for development. ‘Ballast hills’ and an existing eight-metre-high concrete retaining wall will be removed. Earlier this year, the scheme secured £1.85m from the government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund to help deliver 250 of the new dwellings. It also benefits from £9.4 million of funding to support delivery of new office space in the Enterprise Zone opposite Commercial Road. Councillor Tracey Dixon Leader of South Tyneside Council said: “We’re delighted to welcome John F Hunt to join us on this exciting project. “This area has been largely derelict for many years and bears the hallmarks of its former heavy industrial use, which are currently constraints to development. “The civil engineering works are needed to overcome these significant site issues and make it suitable to bring forward a mixed-use development that will deliver family homes and office space, creating hundreds of new jobs. “This scheme will bring brownfield land back into use and transform it into a vibrant riverside quarter that people will be proud to call home.” The project delivers on the council’s key priorities of creating the conditions for recovery and investment and invest in the natural and built environment. Work is expected to start on site early in the new year and will be carried out in phases, with the ground and maritime improvements being completed in autumn 2023. Steve Johnson, Director of John F Hunt Regeneration said: “This brownfield site poses some very complex and challenging problems associated with its historical use. “We are thrilled to be selected by South Tyneside Council as their delivery partner, to bring the site back from its derelict state into a sustainable place for forward development.” Mott MacDonald Limited are acting as the Principal Designer for the civil engineering element of the scheme, whilst the contract will be administered by Driver Project Services. Last year, Keepmoat, working in partnership with Cussins, were appointed as the development partner to deliver around 350 high-quality family houses and apartments and the associated infrastructure, including a new riverside promenade. The scheme, which builds on the considerable investment that has already gone into regenerating South Shields, has secured £9.4million from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for the delivery of a future phase of office accommodation.
Portable test enables testing to take place across 100 UK development sites Tests to be conducted in-house by Keepmoat’s nine regional Health and Safety Business Partners with results available on-site within minutes “The Intelligent Fingerprinting drug testing system is a stand-out product, and adopting it is an easy decision for Keepmoat Homes in light of the significant benefits: non-invasive, easy to use, rapid and accurate!” – Nick Martens, Keepmoat Homes Keepmoat Homes, one of the UK’s top 10 builders of high-quality homes, has started to use fingerprint drug testing across its 100 UK construction sites. The Intelligent Fingerprinting test analyses fingerprint sweat to detect drug use, and will be used by Keepmoat Homes’ Health and Safety Business Partners to manage risk in the area of safety-critical plant operations. Keepmoat Homes will test its building site plant operators – both employees and contractors – who operate safety-critical machinery on the company’s building sites, including cranes, diggers, dumpers, and telehandlers. It takes less than a minute to collect fingerprint sweat samples onto the Intelligent Fingerprinting drug screening cartridge ready for testing. Results are delivered on-site in around ten minutes using the portable reader. Keepmoat was particularly impressed by the Intelligent Fingerprinting system’s shorter window of detection that – at around 16 hours – provides a quick and dignified way of identifying potential drug misuse in the period immediately prior to the test. A positive result indicates recent drug use, and therefore suggests a greater risk of impairment at the time of test. This approach aligns with TUC guidance on drug testing in the workplace. Nick Martens, Health, Safety and Sustainability Director at Keepmoat Homes said: “After looking at all the different drug test approaches available, we felt that the Intelligent Fingerprinting method proved itself as a stand-out technology. Compared with urine and saliva tests, the fingerprint drug testing method is non-invasive, easy-to-use, rapid and accurate. The decision to adopt fingerprint-based testing was an easy decision for the Keepmoat Homes ‘Executive HSS Committee’. We can collect the samples ourselves and manage the entire process in-house, testing at planned intervals and for cause. “We have equipped each of our nine Health and Safety Business Partners who support our regional businesses and cover all of our UK sites, with an Intelligent Fingerprinting reader and supply of test cartridges. They have been trained to use the fingerprint testing approach, so that Keepmoat Homes retains full control over the end-to-end drug testing process. As a result, they will be able to reach any of our 100 UK sites quickly, should a test be required. Due to the system’s portability, samples can be taken from our workers on-site, so there’s no need to lose working hours. We can take a sample very quickly with minimal interruption. “We are also impressed by the robustness of the process. In comparison to urine tests, for example – where facilities need to be provided and monitored to prevent sample tampering – the fingerprint test requires no special preparations. Our regional team of Health and Safety Business Partners don’t need to be medically-trained to carry out the process. We see the fingerprint testing process as transparent. Our employees and sub-contractors need to be able to see and discuss their results there and then with the Health and Safety Business Partner conducting the test. We are really looking forward to putting the fingerprint testing approach to work,” continued Nick Martens. Intelligent Fingerprinting’s Dr Paul Yates added: “during demonstrations, companies are often very surprised and impressed with how simple the fingerprint drug testing process is and how, with simple remote training, anyone can take samples and operate the system. In the pandemic – and beyond – the ability for organisations to take in-house control of drug testing to ensure compliance with their policies and manage risk is increasingly important, yet easily achievable with the Intelligent Fingerprinting approach – just like Keepmoat Homes has decided to do.” Fingerprint-based drug testing – how it works Intelligent Fingerprinting’s drug testing system features a small, tamper-evident drug screening cartridge onto which ten fingerprint sweat samples are collected, in a process which takes less than a minute. The Intelligent Fingerprinting portable analysis unit then reads the cartridge and provides a positive or negative result on-screen for all drugs in the test in ten minutes. An introductory video demonstrating fingerprint-based drug testing in action is available here.
National housebuilder Keepmoat Homes has been granted planning permission from Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council for the delivery of 125 brand new homes in Exhall. The £26m development, Exhall Gardens, will transform the previously vacant site on School Lane and provide much needed housing to the area. Comprising a mixed tenure of two-, three- and four- bedroom houses and maisonette apartments, 25% will be made affordable and available for Shared Ownership and Affordable Rent in partnership with Flint Housing. Homebuyers will also benefit from great transport links, green open spaces along with enhanced planting to preserve ecology on site. Charlotte Goode, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Homes, said: ‘’We’re delighted our planning application has been approved by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, to deliver 125 stylish and spacious brand-new homes to Exhall. “The much-needed homes will be designed for both first time buyers and those looking to up-size, and we’re driven to make a big impact to the local area and aim to create a new community with great travel links, recreational paths, along with retaining the green spaces and existing pond at the development. ‘’The acquisition is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our presence in the town and is another positive step for our ambitious growth plans in the West Midlands.’’ Eugene Schreider, CEO of Flint Housing, said: “Building more high-quality affordable housing is an imperative to help those who are unable to rent or buy in their local communities and to create positive broader social outcomes. We are therefore delighted to partner with Keepmoat on this scheme to bring 32 much-needed new build affordable homes to Exhall.’’ Construction is due to commence in May, with the first homes being available to purchase from Spring 2021. The development will take around two years to complete.
National housebuilder Keepmoat Homes has completed the purchase of a site on School Street, Thurnscoe, which will be developed in partnership with Homes England and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The site, situated within the Dearne Valley on the eastern outskirts of Barnsley, was previously owned by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, and will see 360 brand new homes created in the area. The development will comprise of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes with off-street parking and private gardens, of which 5% will be affordable housing. The £52m development represents the third phase of housing on the wider site and highlights Keepmoat’s commitment to working with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council to transform the area through the creation of high-quality, modern homes, public open spaces and a children’s play area. As part of their ongoing commitment to the local community, Keepmoat Homes has pledged to support local people and help generate opportunities in training and employment through the use of sub-contractors, work placements and educational visits to the site, which will be delivered throughout the lifetime of the project. Dan Crew, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Homes, said: “We’re delighted to be continuing to work in partnership with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Homes England to deliver our third phase in Thurnscoe. “As a local developer, with our Head Office in Yorkshire, this acquisition is a positive step for our ambitious growth plans in South Yorkshire and following the success of previous developments in the area, it’s a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our presence in the town and cement our relationship with the Council. “The new homes are designed for both first time buyers and those looking to up-size, as well as providing much needed provision of more affordable homes. We are driven to make a big impact to the local area and aim to create a new community with open spaces and park facilities for everyone to enjoy.” The first homes will become available to purchase at the start of 2021 and the development will take around nine years to complete.
More than 60 construction jobs will be safeguarded or created by Keepmoat Homes which has started work on a new £14m housing scheme in West Denton, Newcastle. The deal to acquire the site from Newcastle City Council was completed last month – it is the latest in a line of projects delivered by Keepmoat Homes working in partnership with the local authority, which has so far produced 774 new homes at eight developments in the last five years. The top 10 UK home builder will create 96 two, three and four-bedroom houses and bungalows at the Thornley Road site alongside partners Leazes Homes, who will create five specialist learning disability bungalows, and Riverside who will create 27 dwellings for affordable rent and shared ownership. Ian Prescott, North East Land and Partnerships Director at Keepmoat Homes, said: “We’re delighted to have started work on our latest development in Newcastle which is the latest in a long list of already successful sites we have created in association with Newcastle City Council. “As well as building a community, we are safeguarding employment in the region for at least the next three years whilst we are on site. “Working again with Newcastle Futures and Generation North East we will also be creating work placement, pre-apprentice and apprentice opportunities for people in the city.” Councillor Linda Hobson, Cabinet Member for Housing at Newcastle City Council, said “Housing is a priority for the council and we are committed to offering a range of homes to meet the diverse needs of residents in our city. Mixed tenure developments like this one don’t just provide good quality housing they also promote social inclusion and bring a real sense of community to the area. I look forward to seeing the work progress and residents move in when the properties are completed.” In recent years Keepmoat Homes has won a series of awards in the North East, including a North East Equality Award for its work in the community and a ‘Heart of The Community’ award at the North East Business Awards.
