Work starts on £9.2 million affordable housing scheme in Castleford

Construction work has started on a £9.2 million new homes development in Castleford, consisting of 82 houses, that will offer a range of purchase and rental options, including affordable rent, rent to buy and shared ownership.

Located on Pemberton Road, the scheme is being developed jointly by Leeds Federated Housing Association (LFHA) and WDH, with funding support from Homes England. The development has been designed by Leeds based Brewster Bye Architects and Esh Construction is the principal contractor.

The scheme will consist of an extensive mix of two, three and four bedroom houses and bungalows. LFHA will manage 43 of the homes and WDH will manage the remaining 39 properties. The first homes are expected to be ready for occupation during summer 2022.

Director, Mark Henderson, from Brewster Bye Architects, explained: “We’ve designed this development to offer a varied range of high-quality affordable homes, that will appeal to all demographics, ranging from families to downsizers, looking to buy and rent affordable homes. Ultimately, this will create a vibrant and varied community in a highly sought-after area.
“The development has progressed quickly and after securing planning permission at the end of last year, it’s fantastic to now see work underway.”

Stephen Ellis, head of development at LFHA, said: “This is more great news for Leeds Federated, as we continue an ambitious programme of providing great quality, affordable homes within Castleford, across the Wakefield district and the wider Leeds City Region.”

Sue Young, executive director of investment at WDH, added: “As a business we are always looking for opportunities to provide high quality homes within the local area, both for affordable rent, and sale with shared ownership. This scheme will enhance the area, providing more families and professionals with great places to live, and offers a range of modern living options for prospective customers and tenants with excellent transport links to the M62. By investing in our local area, we are creating homes for those who need them in an area that is always in high demand.”

Stuart Leslie, divisional director at Esh Construction, added: “We are delighted to have secured this contract and to be working in partnership once again with Leeds Federated Housing Association and WDH. We are due to commence work on circa £50 million of new affordable housing schemes across the Yorkshire region in the coming months and this is yet another great project which we are proud to be delivering for the community.”