Living Space Housing has commenced construction work at a 6.3-acre site located off Majestic Way in the village of Aqueduct in Telford, Shropshire. All 39 homes are being delivered to The Wrekin Housing Group for affordable rent to help meet local housing needs.
The strategic parcel of land was acquired from Homes England with the land sale being managed by Telford & Wrekin Council as part of the Telford Land Deal. Solihull-based Living Space secured Full Planning consent and will deliver the construction contract in its entirety, which is worth over £7m. The first homes will be available for occupation in 2022.
Steve Davies, Managing Director of Living Space Housing said: “This strategic site was first earmarked for residential development back in the 1980s. The opportunity was unlocked by Homes England and Telford & Wrekin Council last year and we are delighted to be working alongside The Wrekin Housing Group to deliver these much-needed affordable homes. Each stage of the construction programme will be carried out by our local supply chain, safeguarding and creating new employment opportunities.
“While so much new housing and investment has been stalled due to the impact of Covid-19, we are working in accordance with our robust Safe Operating Procedure, which is keeping everyone safe across our development portfolio during these unprecedented times. Majestic Way is our third development to get underway in Telford and we are actively seeking other immediate and longer-term development opportunities, with the funding in place to progress such deals.”
The accommodation mix for the Majestic Way development comprises 19 two-bedroom houses, 18 three-bedroom houses, and two two-bedroom bungalows. The scheme will be constructed in red brick, with feature render plots, and all 39 homes will have designated parking provision. The scheme will provide a significant amount of Public Open Space, a SUDS attenuation feature and a new footpath to The Iron Bridge Way.
The architect for the scheme is Birmingham-based residential design specialist UMAA Architecture. Waldeck Consulting is the Employers Agent, PJA is the Civil Engineer, OEC Consulting is the Structural Engineer and Stave-Con the Civils Contractor.
Jane Kind, Project Manager for The Wrekin Housing Group said: “We are delighted to be working with Living Space on this expansive, conveniently located residential scheme, which will make a difference to people’s lives by creating a new community of high-quality affordable homes for Telford. The first homes will be available for occupation next year and we have not doubt this will be a very popular addition to our portfolio as it is such a lovely setting with lots of open space.”
Living Space is a development-led residential planning, design and construction services solution for Registered Providers, PRS Funds, the NHS, Universities and Defence Estates. Having launched to the market in 2019, the company is already well underway with the construction of seven residential developments across middle England, with a number of additional sites in the planning system. The combined construction value of the development portfolio is in excess of £72million, which equates to 580 affordable houses, apartments and bungalows.
By providing an end-to-end service to Registered Providers (RPs), it enables them to deliver more homes with greater efficiency. Living Space can also assist RPs by delivering open market homes in order to help with a scheme’s viability. This enables Living Space’s clients to be able to focus on the funding and management of high-quality homes for their residents.
Living Space’s other live developments comprise 51 homes at its flagship Malvern Oaks scheme in the village of Cradley, on the outskirts of Malvern, Herefordshire, which is being developed in conjunction with affordable housing provider Stonewater. Another 48 homes are being constructed for Stonewater at the former Victoria Carpets Sports Ground in Kidderminster. 26 homes located off Britannia Way in central Telford, Shropshire are currently being delivered for Accord Housing Association. Elsewhere in Telford, 38 homes located off Park Road in the Malinslee ward of the town are being delivered for The Wrekin Housing Group. 40 affordable homes are being constructed for housing provider Paradigm on a site off Oak Farm Drive in the Oxfordshire village of Milcombe, while 36 homes are being constructed in conjunction with Hightown Housing Association in the village of Moggerhanger, Central Bedfordshire.