Esh Construction’s affordable housing division is set to deliver almost 300 homes across the North East and Yorkshire after completing land purchases on four sites through its land-led solution.
The land-led development solution was launched in 2019 to provide an improved offer to clients, not only sourcing developable land and conducting technical, design and construction assessments, but taking greater control of land acquisition, planning and construction processes. As an Investment Partner with Homes England, Esh also unlocks access to grant funding on behalf of registered housing provider clients.
Four new schemes have come to fruition at the same time, with two North East schemes and two Yorkshire projects all completing land purchases.
In the North East, Esh has secured land for a £20 million project which will deliver a 55-home extra care development. The Sunderland Road, Gateshead scheme will replace a derelict library with 43 one and two-bedroom apartments, 12 detached and semi-detached bungalows, and a warden’s dormer bungalow. In Jarrow, Esh has purchased land directly from South Tyneside Council to deliver a mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses and two-bedroom flats as part of a £9 million affordable housing scheme.
Meanwhile in Yorkshire, Esh’s team has completed land purchases in Bridlington and Hull which will pave the way for developments worth £36 million. A mix of affordable homes and a 68-apartment extra care scheme will be delivered just two miles from Bridlington town centre, while work is due to commence on 65 two, three and four-bedroom homes for affordable rent in Hull.
Laura Devaney, Land and Partnerships Director at Esh Construction, said: “Improving the affordable housing offer has been a key driver for the growth of our land-led solution. We have forged important relationships with Homes England, local authorities and registered housing providers and the culmination of these four projects is testament to the work going on behind the scenes to carry out surveys and investigations into site viability.
“With the UK Government outlining targets for 1.5 million new build homes within the next five years, local authorities have been urged to grant planning permission for approximately 462,500 homes each year. The demand is high for quality developments to be brought forward, and we have another wave of sites across the North East and Yorkshire that are already progressing towards planning submission.”
Working alongside land agents, landowners, local authorities and registered social housing providers, Esh’s land-led solution is centred around collaboration and transparency, lending itself to partners playing to their strengths and alleviating workloads for providers.
Since its launch, the solution has flourished, with completed projects including 32 new affordable homes in Leeds, a scheme in Askern, Doncaster which delivered 124 new affordable homes and retirement living apartments, as well as the development of 96 new affordable homes in Easington Village on the site of a long-demolished working men’s club.
Devaney added: “Across all of our sites, we have worked closely with partners to ensure the local area needs have been fully considered. By securing funding on behalf of our clients through our status as a Homes England Investment Partner, we have also aided scheme viability when bringing the projects to market.”
With the UK Government outlining targets for 1.5 million new build homes within the next five years, local authorities have been urged to grant planning permission for approximately 462,500 homes each year. The demand is high for quality developments to be brought forward, and we have another wave of sites across the North East and Yorkshire that are already progressing towards planning submission.”
