An 82-home affordable housing scheme in Castleford will celebrate the town’s glass making heritage, after local school children took part in a street naming competition. Year Four students from Fairburn View School in Airedale were invited by WDH and Esh Construction to help name a street on the new housing development that is currently being built at Pemberton Road in Castleford.
Influenced by Castleford’s history of glass making, the winning name was Glaston Road which was proposed by Scarlett Watson. By the late 1880s, Castleford was one of the largest glass bottle manufacturers in Britain, producing over 20 million bottles for export each year. Castleford’s Roman name is Lagentium in Latin, which roughly translates as ‘Place of the bottles’ showing just how far back Castleford’s connection with the glass industry goes, making Glaston Road the perfect choice for the newest street.
Anglo Drive was also chosen as a winning name and provides a nod to the town’s Anglo Saxon heritage. The three winners took home £20 worth of book vouchers and the winning class received an iPad as a prize, courtesy of Esh Construction.
Pemberton Road is a £9.2 million mixed tenure development, supported with funding from Homes England. It will include homes for affordable rent, rent to buy and shared ownership, with a blend of different sized family homes and four bungalows. The first new homes will be available in Summer 2022, with WDH and Leeds Federated Housing Association each managing 39 units and 43 units respectively.
Craig Simpson, Contracts Manager at Esh Construction, said: “As a local contractor, it is fantastic to see the heritage of Castleford being incorporated into this brand-new housing development. Through our Constructing Local strategy, we will maximise the social and economic benefit for the community throughout this development, by employing a local workforce, supporting local initiatives and procuring local supply.”
Sue Young, Executive Director of Investment at WDH, said: “It is great to be able to get local schools involved with our development projects. Pemberton Road is right in the heart of the local community in Castleford and Scarlett will be pleased to tell her friends and family that she chose the name for our newest street, for years to come. As a business, we are proud to be able to create long lasting, confident communities and build new homes in places, like Castleford, where we have a high demand. This scheme will further enhance the area, providing more local people with a range of modern living options. Once completed, we expect the properties will appeal to families, professionals as well people looking to downsize their homes.”
As a local contractor, it is fantastic to see the heritage of Castleford being incorporated into this brand-new housing development. Through our Constructing Local strategy, we will maximise the social and economic benefit for the community throughout this development, by employing a local workforce, supporting local initiatives and procuring local supply.”
