Esh Construction showcased the latest progress at Beech Hill in Halifax as part of Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin’s tour of the Calderdale region.
Working in partnership with Together Housing and Calderdale Council, Esh is delivering 106 new affordable homes for affordable rent on a site that was previously home to three high-rise blocks, a former council depot and retail units, all of which were demolished back in 2018.
Mayor Brabin was joined by Esh’s Chief Executive, Andy Radcliffe, Cllr Sarah Courtney, Cllr Jenny Lynn, as well as senior representatives from Together Housing and Calderdale Council.
The site is partially handed over and occupied, with 51 homes completed in 2023, and the remaining 55 homes due for completion early 2024. The visit included a look inside two of the five accessible homes that include bespoke adaptations to meet the needs of families with disabilities, funded through the Disabled Facilities Grant.
Esh’s Operations Director, Simon Woodward, led the site tour. He said: “The new build homes at Beech Hill are close to completion and have played a key part in the redevelopment of the area. Esh, as a local contractor, is delighted to have worked with local partners to deliver economic benefits and opportunities for the area, and affordable, more energy-efficient homes, for Calderdale residents.”
Already a double-award winning project, the scheme was named Residential Development of the Year (in the ‘more than 100 homes’ category) at the Insider Yorkshire Property Industry Awards 2022, as well as Partnering Scheme of the Year at The Northern Housing Awards 2023.
The topography of the land has posed many challenges to the team, with the lower site lying 20 metres below the upper site. Extensive remediation and enabling works were undertaken with more than 30,000m³ of materials being excavated, crushed, screened and reused on site, creating a 60% reduction in carbon emissions. 90 metres of gabion retaining walls and a NAUE retaining slope have also been installed.
Mayor Brabin heard how strong partnership working and support from external funders such as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority helped to get this challenging scheme off the ground.
£2.197 million was secured from Leeds City Region Enterprise in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority through the Leeds City Region Growth Deal; this was from a £1 billion package of Government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across the region.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said the project at Beech Hill was vital in improving homes and making them warmer and cheaper to run. She added: “This vital work helps us work towards building a greener, more vibrant West Yorkshire that’s fit for the future. As we work towards our mission of a net zero West Yorkshire by 2038, it’s vital we work together with partners like Calderdale Council to ensure that everyone feels the benefit of our green transition.”
Cllr Jane Scullion, Calderdale Council’s Leader, added: “It was great to showcase our Council priorities and Vision 2024 for Calderdale in action, highlighting the level of ambition that’s palpable across the borough.
“The Beech Hill visit highlighted an excellent example of partnership working to deliver much-needed new affordable homes. The award-winning transformation is supporting thriving towns and places and reducing inequalities, and this opened up a discussion with Tracy Brabin about future opportunities.”
(Photo credit: West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
The new build homes at Beech Hill are close to completion and have played a key part in the redevelopment of the area. Esh, as a local contractor, is delighted to have worked with local partners to deliver economic benefits and opportunities for the area, and affordable, more energy-efficient homes, for Calderdale residents.”
