Known as Beverley Rise, the development has provided 50 new two, three, and four-bedroom homes which are now occupied as families moved in ready for a fresh start to 2021.
Built on behalf of social housing provider, Riverside, the £7 million housing development has been delivered by Esh’s affordable housing division in partnership with Carlisle City Council and Carlisle College.
Gary Dobson, Divisional Director at Esh Construction, said: “Beverley Rise has been an excellent project to work on with Riverside. Not only has it delivered 50 new affordable homes for the families of Carlisle, the scheme has also provided extended work experience placements for construction students studying at Carlisle College, all of which took place prior to the pandemic.
“Eight students completed over 100 days of on-site work experience combined, which has provided a more-rounded training experience required for the construction industry. It has given them better insight into how a site operates, so students were able to take what they have learnt at college and apply it on site, then take this experience back to the classroom.”
The first bricks were laid on the development by bricklaying student, Hannah. She said: “This partnership project has allowed me to develop the skills that I’ve been learning at college alongside working on a building site and I’ve enjoyed it. I worked beside three people who helped me develop my building skills to give that invaluable practical experience which will help me secure work in the future.
“Working on a building site has also enabled me to showcase the role of females in the construction industry, which is something that I am passionate about.”
Sarah Paton, Riverside’s Regional Director for the North, added: “This project demonstrates successful joint partnership work by all involved which we can adopt on future developments. This includes the social value aspect, providing hands-on work experience for construction students and apprentices that we hope will help address the skills shortage in the area.”
The development benefitted from £1.4 million of grant funding from Homes England – following Carlisle City Council identifying the need for more affordable rent properties – and will be managed by Impact Housing.
Beverley Rise has been an excellent project to work on with Riverside. Not only has it delivered 50 new affordable homes for the families of Carlisle, the scheme has also provided extended work experience placements for construction students studying at Carlisle College, all of which took place prior to the pandemic.”
