Work underway on new homes

Work has commenced on an £8.5m housing scheme as part of the continuing regeneration in The Meadows, Nottingham.

A total of 73 new homes, 38 of which are affordable, will be built on Pitcairn Close and Hobart Close, by Loughborough-based contractor and developer, William Davis Ltd as part of a partnership with Nottingham City Council; housing association, asra Housing Group and regeneration specialist, Blueprint.

Comprising a range of two, three and four bedroom properties, the new family homes will replace an area of outdated flats and will be available for a mix of tenures including sale, affordable rent, shared ownership and shared equity.

To mark the commencement of work, project partners were joined on site by Deputy Leader of Nottingham City Council, Cllr. Graham Chapman. Councillor Chapman said: “Alongside the biggest council home building programme in the city in 40 years, Nottingham City Council is working with partners and developers to build much needed private and housing association homes. We want not only to build houses people need but communities they want to remain in and contribute to. Our work with partners such as William Davis, asra and Blueprint will also create local jobs. I look forward to this well-designed scheme develop in the Meadows.”

Designed by architects, Marsh Grochowski, the development will have a contemporary appearance and include through colour rendering and timber cladding. It will achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 with 42 of the properties also achieving AECB (Association for Environment Conscious Building) Silver Standard. The provision of renewables such as gas savers, mechanical ventilation heat recovery, shower heat recovery units and passive flue gas heat recovery will contribute 10% of the development’s overall energy.

Stephen Fisher, business development manager at William Davis said: “It is great to see construction underway in The Meadows. Together with our partners, we have worked hard to develop a scheme that will not only alleviate local housing needs but also bring benefits to the community, for example, we are now actively recruiting local tradespeople. Embracing the ‘fabric first’ approach, the new homes will be highly energy efficient, meaning lower fuel bills for residents and the creation of a sustainable urban neighbourhood.”

Matt Cooney, chief executive, asra Housing Group added: “This is a really important scheme for The Meadows and we are delighted to be involved in the area’s revitalisation. The new homes will offer so much scope for local families, not just in terms of choice of house type but also in the variety of tenures that will be available.”

Peter Conboy, development director at Blueprint concluded: “The Hobart and Pitcairn project represents a significant step for the Meadows, based on the guiding principles of sustainability in design and ‘fabric first’ construction to ensure low running costs. It will create a new community within the Meadows neighbourhood, generating a buzz that will capture the imagination of people all over Nottingham and beyond.”