New Year ground breaking for £5.4m residential scheme

Esh Construction is due to break ground in the New Year on a £5.4m development which will provide a mix of 35 houses, bungalows and apartments in Barnsley.

A Barnsley Council-owned, Local Plan allocated site off St Michaels Avenue, in Monk Bretton, will be developed in a mixed-tenure scheme, creating homes for social rent, private sale, and private rent.

Sixteen of the properties will be low carbon, constructed with sustainable features and energy saving technology, including air source heat pumps instead of mains gas.

Barnsley Council named Esh Construction as its contractor of choice after the scheme was procured through YORhub’s YORbuild2 framework.

Esh Divisional director, Stuart Leslie, said: “This project marks the first new build housing Esh will deliver for Barnsley Council which is a significant achievement for our growth in the Yorkshire region.

“As a local contractor, we will aim to maximise the social and economic benefits to the community by procuring a local supply chain, employing a local workforce and delivering key social value initiatives in the area. We are excited to get work underway.”

The development will provide 24 two, three and four-bedroom houses, seven two-bedroom bungalows, and four two-bedroom apartments.

It forms part of the council’s housing strategy to increase the supply of affordable housing and private rented homes to deliver a diverse range of properties and tenures to help create sustainable communities.

Councillor Tim Cheetham, Barnsley Council’s Cabinet spokesman for regeneration and culture, said: “One of the key ambitions we’ve set out in our vision for Barnsley as the Place of Possibilities is that people have a wider choice of quality, affordable, and sustainable housing, to suit their needs and lifestyle.

“I’m delighted we’re now able to get moving on these exciting new homes which will help us achieve that ambition.”

The design and build scheme includes a new access road and all associated external works. Esh Construction will work with Jefferson Sheard Architects and MJM Consulting Engineers.

It is intended for the first new homes to be available for residents in spring 2023.