100 jobs created as Climate Innovation District gains momentum

Leeds-based sustainable urban developer Citu has started a major recruitment drive to fill around 100 jobs in the coming year as it forges ahead with the construction of its Climate Innovation District in the South Bank area of Leeds.

The Climate Innovation District will include 515 new one, two, three and four bed low carbon homes alongside leisure, offices and climate-resilient public realm in the heart of the city’s landmark South Bank Leeds regeneration project.  The first residential phase is already on site with the first homes due to be completed early 2018.

The developer, which currently employs 70 staff, is more than doubling its workforce, recruiting across a range of sectors including manufacturing, construction, digital and sales.

This includes a major opportunity in the role of Operations Director who will oversee every element in the manufacture and construction of its revolutionary timber-framed ‘Citu Home’ which will be produced in its state-of-the-art on-site factory, Citu Works, with a further ten jobs in the factory operation.

As part of the company’s ongoing drive to improve efficiency and quality within the construction sector, instead of contracting external suppliers the developer is recruiting seven ‘Citu Squads’. Each squad will be made up of a team of eight workers including plumbers, electricians, joiners and timber-frame specialists who will be permanent employees of Citu. There will also be twelve apprentice positions recruited in partnership with the Leeds College of Building.

The teams will work together day-to-day on the Climate Innovation District as well Citu’s award-winning Little Kelham scheme in Sheffield, and on future ground-breaking schemes across the company’s growing portfolio.

Chris Thompson, managing director of Citu, said: “This offers a major opportunity for those working in the housing industry to be a part of creating the UK’s first zero-carbon neighbourhood. Every employee will benefit from ongoing training and development, learning new skillsets in low-carbon construction.

“It’s a sector which is set to grow over the coming years if you consider the fact that the UK’s buildings account for almost half of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, and the Government is looking to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050.”

The firm says that the new way of working is part of an ongoing campaign to combat inefficiency  – which it says is  the biggest problem facing the construction industry today.

Thompson added: “The issue is two-fold; there’s inefficiency in terms of the quality of the product which causes heat loss and emissions from the houses themselves.

“But there is also inefficiency in terms of the construction process, caused by delays in transporting materials to site and poor communication between multiple contractors.”

Citu has constructed an on-site manufacturing facility, which reduces the carbon footprint of the construction process. “We hope this new approach will act as a model for the wider industry as we look to accelerate the transition towards zero carbon cities,” said Thompson.