Construction begins to progress £100m homes programme

In total, 33 affordable homes will be available when construction completes in January 2023.

The project, which has been procured via SCAPE, a public sector procurement authority, includes the building of:

• 21 two to four-bedroom houses on Adwick Lane, Toll Bar
• Seven two to three-bedroom houses on Appleby Road, Intake
• Five two to three-bedroom houses on Athlestane Crescent, Edenthorpe.

The sites form part of the council’s new £100m housebuilding programme that was approved, along with a new Housing Strategy, by Mayor Ros Jones and cabinet earlier this year.

The social housing developments will be a mix of bungalows and family homes.

Nick Heath, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We’re excited that work is commencing in Doncaster across these three unique sites.

“After working with the council to deliver over 400 new homes in recent years, we have built strong relationships in the area and continue to help meet the growing housing needs of the local community.

“Throughout this project, we will generate £444,000 in social value through initiatives to enhance social, economic and environmental wellbeing, such as charity work, apprenticeships for young people and bettering energy efficiency standards.”

Councillor Glyn Jones, deputy mayor and cabinet member for housing and business, said: “I am delighted to see the next raft of new council homes start to go up.

“Building quality homes for Doncaster residents was a fundamental element of our Housing Strategy and Council Homes Delivery Plan so seeing work get underway on our latest three developments is excellent news.

“We have had a superb record for delivering new council homes in recent years and this commitment is continuing with more than 500 new homes planned over the next five years.

“These are homes that include the latest energy saving features to address the climate change agenda and are built to meet the needs and wants of residents. We are leading the way on high standards on the council homes building front.”

Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, added: “It is widely reported there is a shortage of affordable housing in the UK and that 40% of our carbon emissions are as a direct result of our nation’s current housing stock.

“We are proud to be helping accelerate the new energy efficient homes via SCAPE Construction, a direct award framework designed to drive collaboration, efficiency, time and cost savings for Doncaster Council which will be delivered by Willmott Dixon.

“The addition of the new houses will help Doncaster Council reach their net zero ambitions while delivering tangible social value throughout the project.”