(L-R): Morro Operations Director, Gavin Ward, and City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Stephen Simkins, in front of one of the new council houses on Ettingshall Road
Eleven new build council homes have been completed in under 9 months on a vacant site in Bilston.
Developer Morro Partnerships Limited started construction on the City of Wolverhampton Council development of 7, 2 bedroom houses, 2, 3 bedroom houses and 2, 4 bedroom houses on Ettingshall Road, in September.
The council’s housing development team led on the project and the homes – built using sustainable building methods and modern timber frame construction – have this week been handed over to Wolverhampton Homes ready for the first tenants to move in.
Each of the ‘A’ Rated, gas free homes come with solar panels and bring back into use land that had been blighted by fly-tipping in recent years.
The houses are part of the latest phase of new council homes coming forward across the city, with development works underway or set to start in the coming months on 81 properties across 6 sites.
The development has been supported by a £715,000 grant from Homes England.
Councillor Stephen Simkins, City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, said: “This is a great example of how we are delivering good quality homes at pace and bringing small disused sites back into use for the benefit of our residents and communities.
“There is an increasing demand for housing and this forms part of our pipeline of new council properties we are developing sustainably to deliver more good homes in well connected neighbourhoods across the city.
“This development also builds substantially on the investment already made in Bilston in recent years that is seeing the town flourish and the homes will be allocated to local people in line with the council’s official housing allocations policy.”
The carbon footprint of a timber frame is less than traditional structures, and this modern method of construction also helps to reduce energy consumption, helping to keep residents’ bills to a minimum.
This is consistent with Morro’s pipeline of affordable homes across the Midlands, as part of their commitment to being better environment and better community makers.
The Ettingshall Road development also included a dedicated segregation zone, with all materials being recycled on site. This reduces the amount being sent to landfill, whilst enabling materials to be recycled back into the environment quickly and efficiently.
Tom Broadway, Managing Director at Morro Partnerships, said: “Having worked with Wolverhampton Council for some time now, it’s great to continue this relationship and help establish more sustainable communities. Transforming land such as this site in Bilston is so important to boost local pride, as well as providing places where people want to live.
“These 11 homes have been designed with energy efficiency in mind, reducing bills and making life more comfortable for residents now and into the future. We look forward to continuing our pipeline of work in Wolverhampton, making a positive impact on neighbourhoods across the city.”