As Middlesbrough enters a new chapter of regeneration, Esh Construction is proud to mark the completion of Union Village – a flagship development in Gresham that has delivered 145 high-quality homes and helped create a vibrant new community.
Appointed to the project by Thirteen Group – in partnership with Middlesbrough Council, Tees Valley Combined Authority, and Homes England – Esh has transformed a former brownfield site off Union Street into a thriving neighbourhood. The development comprises 36 apartments and 109 houses, offering a mix of two, three, and four-bedroom homes for affordable rent.
For Esh, the project represents more than bricks and mortar – it’s about building homes that meet real needs and supporting the wider ambition to reinvigorate Middlesbrough’s communities. Mark Binns, Operations Director at Esh Construction, said: “In being awarded key contracts in Middlesbrough, Esh was tasked with building the homes people need and we have supported Middlesbrough Council and Thirteen Group’s ambitions to help reinvigorate these communities.
“Seeing Union Village in Gresham complete and the first residents settling into their new homes recently has been a proud moment for our team.”
Creating Homes and Communities
Union Village is now fully occupied, and its impact is already being felt. Beyond the homes themselves, the development includes landscaped public open spaces designed to encourage communal living and foster a sense of belonging.
Sam White, Senior Project Manager at Thirteen, summed up the significance of the scheme: “The partnership with Esh has really improved the area, developing Union Village into a fantastic community. We’ve been able to deliver some wonderful housing, wonderful communal areas that customers can turn into homes forever with their families. With the amount of handovers we took averaging 16 homes per month, it really helped us house those customers in real need.”
The human stories behind the development are equally powerful. For residents like Ivor, who moved into Union Village in April 2024, the change has been life-enhancing: “The quality of the place is great. I really do like the place. I was really surprised about the integrated cooker and washing machine. Despite the few glitches when I first moved in, we’ve been very well looked after and everything has been sorted out.”
Building for the Future
Union Village is the first of three major developments Esh will finalise this year for Thirteen Group as more than 540 new homes are built across Middlesbrough.
At Brambles Farm, the Kedward Avenue development is nearing completion and will provide 105 new homes, including houses, bungalows, and apartments. The £18 million scheme is also pioneering sustainable living, with 10 net zero carbon homes featuring enhanced insulation, triple glazing, air source heat pumps, solar panels, battery storage, and electric vehicle (EV) charging points. These timber-framed homes represent a significant step forward in Thirteen’s commitment to exploring low-carbon housing solutions.
Meanwhile, at Grove Hill, Thirteen Group’s flagship £56 million Hillside Gardens development is transforming an area where homes were demolished more than a decade ago. Esh’s housing infrastructure division, Lumsden & Carroll Civil Engineering, has played a key role in delivering roads, sewers, and plot works throughout the site.
Once complete later this year, the scheme will deliver 296 two, three, and four-bedroom houses and bungalows, creating a modern, attractive neighbourhood for hundreds of families.
Together, these three developments reflect a shared vision between Esh Construction and Thirteen Group: to create high-quality, affordable homes that meet the needs of local people and strengthen communities for generations to come.
Sharon Thomas, Thirteen’s chief investment and property officer, said: “It’s great to see these neighbourhoods taking shape and the smiles on people’s faces when they move into their new homes. But there’s a heck of a lot more to be done.
“There are about 13,000 households on council waiting lists for housing in Tees Valley, so we really need to close the gap between supply and demand as quickly as possible.”
With Union Village now complete and the other schemes progressing at pace, Middlesbrough’s housing landscape is being reshaped – and Esh is proud to be at the heart of this transformation.
