Hull gets a boost for £4.3m residential development

AFFORDABLE housing contractor Wates Living Space has invested £1.2m in Hull businesses as part of a £4.3m total residential project at Orchard Park.

Wates has spent £1.2m on subcontractors and suppliers from the Hull area in the process, rather than importing skills and materials to the region.

Working with housing provider Riverside and Hull City Council, Wates has constructed 16 one bedroom flats and 36 two and three bedroom houses.

The contractor has also created 11 apprenticeships for local people and also appointed social enterprise Humber Wood Recycling, enabling them to recycle all of its 10.7 tonnes of its waste timber.

Mick Holling, interim regional managing director for Wates Living Space, said: “At Wates, we continuously seek new ways through which to provide a lasting social and economic impact in communities.

“The Orchard Park project exemplifies our commitment to creating jobs and training opportunities in and around Hull. We’ve helped a considerable amount of people to find work and employed a number of local companies to work on the development, underpinning our aim to ensure that local people reap the benefit of our role as main contractor for years to come.”

Carl Mitchell, assistant director of operations at Riverside, added: “Riverside is very keen to work with partners who have a commitment to local employment and training opportunities which this project has delivered. Riverside is delighted to help with the provision of local affordable housing in the area now and in the future.”

Councillor John Black, Hull City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Council Infrastructure and responsible for housing, said: “By transforming properties and building new homes it provides our partners with a fantastic opportunity to develop our local workforce, providing job opportunities and training right across the supply chain, which is part of Hull’s City Plan and crucial for a flourishing local economy.”