The City of Wolverhampton Council is embarking on a £1.7m scheme to deliver new build council housing on four small derelict sites across the city.
The works will be carried out by the council’s Strategic Construction Partnership (SCP) contractors, who are being given the opportunity to extend their portfolio from housing maintenance and repairs as part of a pilot project. The partnership – Wates Living Space and United Living – will deliver 12 homes by early 2016, at Redcotts Close, Fallings Park; Hughes Road, Bilston North; Welbury Gardens, St Peter’s; and Sunset Place, Spring Vale.
The scheme will be monitored through a joint-project team from the City of Wolverhampton Council and Wolverhampton Homes, to ensure the new council homes are built to a high standard.
Wates will build seven two-bedroom, four-person houses across three small sites at Hughes Road, Redcotts Close and Welbury Gardens, while United Living will develop five wheelchair compliant bungalows – suitable for older people with limited mobility – at Sunset Place.
Councillor Peter Bilson, Deputy Leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council and Cabinet Member for City Assets, said: “This scheme will help smarten up four neighbourhoods in the city while providing affordable housing to residents in housing need, and for vulnerable people.
“As a pilot project it seeks to test the benefits of working with our SCP contractors, and we will review performance of the contractors during the course of the project.
“Hopefully it will lead to more new homes being built in the same way.”
Richard Baker, Business Unit Director (West Midlands) for United Living, said: “It’s always an exciting moment when a new build gets underway and we’re honoured to work with the City of Wolverhampton Council and Wolverhampton Homes on this project.
“Sunset Place will not only offer affordable housing to support those with limited mobility, it should also help to bring immeasurable improvements to the lives of its future residents.”
Stewart Reid, Wates Living Space Business Director, said: “There is increased requirement for social housing in Wolverhampton and this project will certainly help alleviate this demand. What’s more, the investment being made by Wolverhampton Homes and the council will ultimately drive further regeneration and long-term growth for the city.
"We are extremely proud to be strengthening our relationship with Wolverhampton Homes and to be playing a central part in the continual improvement of the city’s social housing provision.”