Work begins as Rotherham Council pledges 1,000 new homes
Work on a number of housing developments has begun as part of a pledge by Rotherham Council to deliver 1,000 new homes.
Shovels, diggers and hard hats have all been delivered to three sites in Maltby as work on an ambitious housing programme begins.
45 homes are to be built along Larch Road, Addison Road and Elm Tree Road.
Plans were put forward and approved last year, though objections were particularly pointed at the Addison Road site as it would see the permanent loss of a daycare centre previously located there.
“Surely the site should be used for the same thing as the demolished facility it is replacing - special needs,” one objector wrote.
“This site was the main hub locally for a lot of people in this category and provided a social hub which from what I saw they all appeared to enjoy and look forward to visiting.”
Other complaints raised issues about existing congestion on Larch Road, and a lack of facilities to support the increased population, however all three proposals were ultimately approved by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.
These developments come as part of wider scheme by the local authority to deliver 1,000 new council homes by summer 2027.
When complete, the developments will include a variety of specialist bungalows, apartments and two, three and four-bedroom homes, which the council claims will meet needs of local people and fill out gaps where there are inadequate numbers of appropriate homes.
Houses will be future proofed with air-source heat pumps, which will sup[ply for both the heating and hot water and meet local targets to be net-zero by 2040.
Recently, Rotherham council tightened rules around who can apply to the housing register, creating ‘tougher’ residency or work requirements with hopes of maintaining larger three of four bedroom homes for families.
Councillor Linda Beresford, Rotherham council’s cabinet member of housing, attended the official ground-breaking along with council colleagues including chief executive John Edwards and representatives from partners, G.S. Kelsey Construction Ltd.
Coun Beresford said: “The Council is committed to supporting residents with their housing needs and enabling them to live well.
“We’re on track to deliver 1,000 new Council homes by summer 2027 with the biggest new Council homes programme since the 1970s, and as part of this we are continually adapting to the boroughs housing needs by delivering a range of properties to local people including apartments, bungalows and family homes.
“I’m delighted to see work starting on this development and equally pleased to hear about the local employment opportunities and other benefits being delivered as part of this project.”
The partnership with GS Kelsey seeks to deliver local benefits through its business contracts, with the developer pledging to deliver £1.46m of social value including employing four FTE local bricklayers and five apprentices.
Leigh Smith, pre-construction manager at GS Kelsey addded: “I'd like to express our delight at partnering with Rotherham Council for the first time to build a fantastic selection of large, modern new houses in Maltby.
“We have been a part of the great work put in by all members of the project team over the last 12 months, so seeing a spade in the ground here is fantastic”