Barnsley Development Marks Historic First for Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association

Graeme Bird of Termrim Construction with LYHA's Lisa Pickard and Deputy Mayor of Barnsley, Councillor Tim Shepherd.

A new development by Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association (LYHA) of 25 affordable rented homes at Aldham House Lane in Wombwell has been officially opened by the Deputy Mayor of Barnsley, Councillor Tim Shepherd, and Lisa Pickard, LYHA’s Chief Executive. They were joined by many of the partners that made this exciting project a reality, as well as some of the customers now benefitting from these much-needed new homes; the first of 97 to be built by LYHA in Barnsley in the next three years.

The £2.2m development includes 20 one and two-bed bungalows and five two-bed houses. Currently only 2 per cent of English homes are bungalows yet, by 2021, 1.2million or 54 per cent of households will be aged 65-years and over and will need homes fit for their changing needs. LYHA received huge demand with up to 53 bids made for each home on the development averaging 25 applications for each property.

The new homes have been built to Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, which aims to reduce both running costs and carbon emissions, ensuring that the homes are affordable live in as well as to rent. The adapted bungalows have in-built features to support customers with mobility issues now and into the future, including full wet rooms.

Graeme Bird of Termrim Construction with LYHA's Lisa Pickard and Deputy Mayor of Barnsley, Councillor Tim Shepherd.

The development was made possible through strong working partnerships with Barnsley Council and a number of Yorkshire-based companies. The homes were designed by Leeds-based architects Acanthus WSM and built by Termrim Construction Ltd from Huddersfield using local labour to transform the site, providing a further boost to the economy in Barnsley.

The LYHA scheme at Aldham House Lane is the first of four, providing 97 homes in Barnsley over the next few years. This is as part of the Association’s commitment to Barnsley and South Yorkshire, tackling the housing crisis and investing into the economic growth of the area. The development represents the first time in its 65-year history that LYHA, which owns and manages 1,300 homes across Leeds and Yorkshire, and is one of Barnsley Council’s preferred development partners; has acquired land in Barnsley and then designed and managed the build.

The National Housing Federation’s Home Truths report shows that over the next 20 years in the Yorkshire region alone, there will be 369,000 new households created, but at current building rates, there will be a shortfall of 200,000 homes by 2031. LYHA has set an ambitious 20% growth target to provide a further 250 new homes by the end of 2018 in the Yorkshire region.

Termrim Construction was a key partner of LYHA in the Aldham House Lane scheme.

Speaking about the development at Aldham House Lane, Lisa Pickard, Chief Executive of LYHA said: “I’m delighted that as a result of what has proven to be excellent partnership working with Barnsley Council and a range of Yorkshire-based businesses, we have been able to deliver some fantastic quality much-needed new homes which not only make a big difference to the local community but represent an historic first for LYHA; this is our first new-build project in Barnsley, one of our key growth areas and the start of a programme that will see a total of 97 homes built in this area in the next few years.

“I’m really proud that, in order to meet the needs of our aging population, we have been able to provide 20 new bungalows and having listened to the residents here today, it’s rewarding to hear how the new homes are already making a positive difference to their lives. This sums up for me what an important role Housing Associations play both in local communities and building much needed new homes.”

Councillor Roy Miller, Cabinet Spokesperson for Place, said: “This development will provide some welcome affordable housing for Barnsley. I wish the people living in these new homes many years of happiness.”

Graeme Bird, Managing Director at Termrim Construction Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be handing over our first housing scheme to Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association and we very much look forward to working with the Leeds & Yorkshire team in the near future on much-needed housing developments in the Yorkshire region.”

The project has been part funded with a grant from the Homes and Communities Agency.