Work Starts on Castleford Scheme

Work has begun on a £9.2M transformation of a brownfield site into high-quality affordable housing in Castleford.

Leeds Federated Housing Association (LFHA) and Wakefield and District Housing Ltd (WDH) are working with main contractor Esh Construction to build 82 new homes which will be available for affordable rent, rent to buy and shared ownership.

The development will appeal to all demographics, from families to professionals as well as downsizers, with Castleford boasting excellent transport links to the M62.

Cllr Darren Byford, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and Regeneration at Wakefield Council, said: “We are delighted to be part of these new affordable homes at Pemberton Road, and are pleased to have a strong partnership with Leeds Federation and WDH and to see them create this very positive, and much needed, housing initiative.

“The Council recognises that we need high-quality housing in our district that is affordable and that socially focused landlords can provide, and this is what our partners will provide here. These new homes will provide people with the opportunity to own or rent their own home at an affordable rent, which we especially welcome, and I look forward to seeing the development of this new neighbourhood.”

The scheme, which has been designed by Brewster Bye Architects and is supported by Homes England funding, will be a mixed-tenure development with a blend of different-sized family homes and bungalows.

The land is being jointly developed by Leeds Federated and WDH, with each provider managing 43 units and 39 units respectively. Sue Young, Executive Director of Investment at WDH, commented: “We are really pleased to see work beginning on site at Pemberton Road. This new development will provide high-quality homes, regenerating land that had become unused and overgrown.

“As a business, we are proud to be able to create long-lasting, confident communities and build new homes in places where we have a high demand, such as Castleford. This scheme will further enhance the area, providing more local people with a range of modern living options.”

Esh Construction was appointed as the design and build contractor for the development. Stuart Leslie, Divisional Director at Esh Construction, added: “We are pleased to get underway on this new development and once again work in partnership with Leeds Federated and WDH.

“As a local contractor, we will maximise the economic benefit for our clients and the community through responsible procurement of local sub-contractors and suppliers – something which is paramount across all Esh Construction schemes.”

The first new homes will be available for residents in summer 2022.

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