Building work starts on 98 council homes on Wolverhampton estate as part of £42 million redevelopment

Building work has started on a scheme to redevelop a Wolverhampton council estate, which will see the construction of 179 new homes.

Ninety-eight new homes will be built over the next two years as part of a £42 million transformation of the New Park Village estate.

The first seven homes, a row of wheelchair-accessible bungalows in Longford Road, were completed in January this year.

Now work has moved on to the next phase of construction, around the former Ellerton Walk, where four blocks of ‘outdated’ maisonettes were demolished last year, along with 11 garages and five bungalows.

Keon Homes, the builder for the scheme, has now completed intensive underground surveys, along with the complex process of redirecting water, gas, electricity and telecommunications supplies across the site, and other enabling works such as the installation of a new road and turning head.

The regeneration will provide a mix of new one, two, three and four-bedroom council homes for rent, as well as increased car parking, improved public open space at the heart of the estate, including a children’s play area, green gym and seating, and a new housing office for the New Park Village Tenant Management Cooperative.

Val McKean, chairman of New Park Village Committee, said: “I’ve lived here for about ten years and this place is going to be amazing when it’s finished.

“This is where the excitement starts - seeing the new homes going up to replace the old and cold flats we’re currently in will be great.

“It will be similar to Heath Town where the residents are so thrilled by the improvements.”

Councillor Steve Evans, Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “This is a major milestone that means we will soon start seeing top-quality new council homes for affordable rent coming out of the ground where out-dated 1960s maisonettes once stood.

“We are continuing to invest heavily in new and replacement council housing across the city and it is all about creating better connected communities where people can enjoy brighter futures.

“In the long-term, the redevelopment will improve living conditions for local residents through the provision of highly energy-efficient new homes, better play areas and green space creating an environmentally friendly estate.”

The final phase of the scheme, which is expected to begin in about two years’ time, will see the demolition of the final maisonettes, and the construction of 81 more properties.

The development is financed by Wolverhampton Council’s housing revenue account capital fund, with grants coming from Homes England.

The new homes will be allocated first to existing tenants on the estate and, if any additional properties become available, then to local residents currently on the housing list.

Matt Beckley, partnerships director at Keon Homes, added: “It is always fantastic when the first bricks are laid on a scheme that will support a local community in Wolverhampton.

“New Park Village is a landmark housing regeneration development, which will create hundreds of high-quality, energy efficient homes. These properties will generate new opportunities for local people and families, as well as bringing important parts of the city back to life.”

The New Park Village redevelopment scheme is being phased over several years to minimise disruption to residents.