October 12th marks the one-year anniversary of Bolsover District Council’s ambitious Bolsover Homes new build programme.
The build programme which commenced at Longcroft View on 12th October 2020 will see up to four hundred new, high quality Council houses delivered over the next four years to meet local needs.
We reflect on what’s been delivered so far and look ahead to what the next 12 months has in store for the partnership.
In the first year there has been a significant amount of work to develop designs and secure planning permission to complete 16 new homes in Whitwell. A further 21 homes are currently in construction in Whitwell at Sandy Lane/Thorpe Avenue.
In addition, contractors Robert Woodhead Ltd have submitted planning applications for 89 more homes across 10 different sites throughout the district, including Langwith, Shirebrook and Blackwell.
Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Sandra Peake said: “We are so pleased with the progress made so far with our Bolsover Homes project and look forward to seeing what happens over the next three years. We are proud to be working with Robert Woodhead Ltd to produce homes for people that will be comfortable, safe and affordable to live in.”
Social and economic impact has been a key driver for Bolsover District Council and the contractor has been working to raise aspirations and provide local employment opportunities. In the first 12 months the contractors have worked with 672 local students and provided four work experience placements. Significantly, 5 new jobs have been created and three new Apprentices have started their journey in the construction industry.
David Pearson, Senior Project Manager of Robert Woodhead Ltd. said: “Now we have made a strong start in the first year we will gather even more momentum seeing our output double next year, depending on planning permission. I would like to thank our in-house delivery teams and expert local subcontractors who have worked collaboratively to make the first year a huge success.”
Bolsover District Council are already exploring future sites to be brought forward. It is anticipated the next site in Whaley Thorns will be the first to use a timber frame construction methodology. This will make the homes even more sustainable, faster to build and cheaper to run for tenants due to the levels of insulation.
For regular updates on the partnership tune into Bolsover TV.