Member Article

New homes set to transform Fitzwilliam

~~The regeneration of a former Wakefield mining community has entered an exciting new phase as work begins on a development of 159 new homes.

Construction and regeneration specialist Keepmoat were granted planning permission in June to build new homes on the former City Estate in Fitzwilliam, Pontefract.

Work has now started at “The Realm” with an official “breaking new ground” launch ceremony attended by representatives from Keepmoat, the local community and Wakefield Council.

Among the members of the community attending the launch were Peter Taberner, Chairman of Hemsworth Miners’ Welfare Scheme, Sean Pugh, Chief Executive of Hemsworth Miners’ Welfare Football Club, and Adrian Heritage and Brian Lee of Hemsworth Miners’ Welfare Cricket Club.

Some of the dignitaries attending were Sandra Pickin, Councillor for Hemsworth and Mayor of Wakefield, Glyn Lloyd, Councillor for Hemsworth, Karen Lythe, Service Manager for Strategic Housing at Wakefield Council and James Smith, Partnerships and Land Manager at Keepmoat.

The £16m scheme will see 159 homes built for private sale – including 79 two-bedroom houses, 78 three-bedroom houses, six two-bedroom bungalows and two two-bedroom flats.

The scheme has been made possible by the investment of a share of £8m awarded to Wakefield Council from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund.

Peter Taberner, Chairman of the Hemsworth Miners’ Welfare Scheme, said: “I wanted to say a few words on the day to make sure everyone knows how much this event means to the local community.

Mr Taberner, 67, who grew up in nearby Kinsley and lived on the City Estate 30 years ago, said: “This is a proud area with a proud history of sporting achievement. A lot of people in this area have been waiting for this development to happen because we believe it can help to make Fitzwilliam better and turn it into a really nice place to live again.

“We are trying to work together with Keepmoat and that’s a really good thing. Keepmoat have been really helpful so far and have kept us notified of all the works. “We’ve also been really pleased with the help from local Wakefield District Councillors and their officers. When the local community can see what’s happening to improve the area they’re willing to help.”

James Smith, Partnerships and Land Manager for Keepmoat Yorkshire, said: “Building high quality new homes is at the core of regenerating communities like the former City Estate.

“They will breathe new life into this part of the district and are sure to be popular with the local community and attractive to a range of home buyers including people buying their first home, families and professionals.

“We are delighted to be working with Wakefield Council to improve and expand the district’s housing mix and are confident this new development will be a positive catalyst which will improve the area’s fortunes.”

Construction work on all 159 of the new homes is expected to be completed by 2019, although the first properties are expected to be available for sale in October this year.

The work will create new jobs, and local businesses are encouraged to get involved in the scheme.

It is hoped the development will be able to boost the local economy by awarding millions of pounds worth of work to companies in the area. A Meet the Developer event was held in December last year.

The former City Estate, where Yorkshire and England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott grew up, had suffered decline following the closure of local coal mines in the 1980s. But more than 10 years ago Wakefield Council bought and demolished 215 former pit homes on the estate, many of which had become unsafe.

Cllr Denise Jeffery, Wakefield Council’s Deputy Leader, said: “The beginning of work on these new homes for Fitzwilliam marks an exciting milestone in the regeneration of the area.

“By joining forces with a regeneration specialist like Keepmoat we can deliver the high quality, affordable homes which the area really needs.

“It’s great to see work starting on the ground and it will not be long before the first homes begin to take shape.”

Cllr Sandra Pickin, Mayor of Wakefield, said: “It’ll be great to see housing come back here and these new homes will bring new people to our community to enjoy everything this area has to offer including a warm welcome from the people of Fitzwilliam.”

Keepmoat is also working with Wakefield Council on the former Frickley Colliery site, in South Elmsall, where work is underway to build 190 new homes over two phases.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Becki Ord .