Construction is set to begin on over 50 new affordable council homes on a former school site in the south of Leicester.
Leicester City Council has plans to transform the abandoned land of the old Newry and Southfield schools in Eyres Monsell into new housing.
Picture credit: Leicester City Council
The school buildings, which had been vacant for more than a decade, were demolished in late 2022 with support from a £360,000 government grant from the One Public Estate (OPE) programme.
The council is now preparing to begin work on 53 new council homes at the site, including 44 houses and 9 flats.
These new homes will be built to high eco-performance standards, incorporating energy-efficient features to reduce carbon emissions and help future tenants save on energy bills.
Following a competitive tendering process, GEDA, a renowned construction, civil engineering, and development company, has been chosen to manage the project.
Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, Assistant City Mayor for Housing, said: “Redeveloping the vacant Newry and Southfield school sites into new housing is a key step in our broader efforts to tackle the housing crisis in Leicester.
“I’m thrilled that we can now begin work on this exciting and complex project. It will provide much-needed council homes and bring a disused site back to life, benefiting the local community.
“We’ve set an ambitious goal of building new housing to meet the city’s pressing needs. Replacing homes lost to the Right to Buy scheme over the past few decades is a crucial part of this strategy.”
Colm McVeigh, Build GB Director at GEDA Construction, added: “We’re excited to be working with Leicester City Council and their design team to deliver 53 homes at Southfield and Newry. This is a model project, and the homes will be built to the highest performance standards.
“We’re also proud to be part of a project that will make a significant and positive impact on the community, providing much-needed, high-quality, affordable homes for local residents.”
Contractors are set to start on-site in the coming days, with construction expected to be completed within 16 months.
