A pioneering housing and regeneration partnership scheme in Halifax has won a prestigious regional award.
The Beech Hill housing project just outside Halifax town centre was named Residential Development of the Year (in the ‘more than 100 homes’ category) at the Insider Yorkshire Property Industry Awards 2022 on Thursday 22 September.
Calderdale Council’s flagship Northgate House commercial development was also shortlisted in the awards, for Refurbishment and Renovation of the Year. Calderdale’s nominations were some of the only public sector entries throughout the award categories, putting the borough in a unique position alongside the mostly private sector entries.
At Beech Hill, the Council, Together Housing and Esh Construction are working together to transform the area. The Calderdale and Together Housing Investment Partnership (CTHIP) is building 106 new affordable homes, creating more public open space and a cycle route on the site that previously housed three empty tower blocks. The existing homes at the Mount Pleasant estate at Beech Hill are also benefiting from energy efficiency improvements to help tackle climate change and reduce the cost of living through lower energy bills for residents.
This ongoing project has been challenging from the outset. The way that the partnership has overcome the obstacles in an enterprising way is one of the reasons why it came top in the awards, becoming a benchmark for other Yorkshire organisations dealing with difficult sites.
The challenging nature of Beech Hill’s landscape meant that many developers found the site unviable due to high demolition and construction costs. The CTHIP unlocked investment with funding support from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Homes England.
In partnership with the contractor, Esh Construction, careful design and innovative techniques have included installing a retaining slope and 90 metres of gabion retaining walls to make the best use of the whole site.
This important regeneration work will provide high-quality, affordable homes within walking distance of Halifax town centre, plus a better choice of housing and quality of life for local people. Economic growth will be supported through the jobs and training opportunities created by the scheme, and the wider regeneration of the area. The new facilities for cycling and walking, and the lower-carbon homes, will contribute to Calderdale’s climate action priority.
Cllr Scott Patient, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Resilience, said:
“Congratulations to the deserving winners of this partnership award! It’s fantastic recognition for the hard work and determination to make the Beech Hill transformation a reality.
“Beech Hill is just one of the areas benefiting from unprecedented funding throughout Halifax and Calderdale to make our towns even stronger places for everyone. I’m really proud of the level of ambition to change life in Calderdale for the better, for all our residents, businesses, workers and visitors as part of the Vision 2024.”
George Paterson, Executive Director for Property for Together Housing Group, said:
“Housing is just one factor in calling a place home and the Calderdale Together Housing Investment Partnership has brought together different groups who want Calderdale to remain a brilliant place to live to achieve that. We’re delighted that our partnership approach involving a social housing provider, pioneering developer and the local authority working together has been recognised as we continue to work right across Calderdale with this groundbreaking work.”
Simon Woodward, Operations Director at Esh Construction, said:
“The regeneration of Beech Hill has been long in the making and securing this award is testament to the hard work of everyone who has been involved in the project, both past and present. As well as providing new affordable homes, Esh’s ethos of maximising the economic and social value for the local community throughout the scheme has brought great benefits to the area. To date, the project has provided a £7.9m boost to the Yorkshire region due to our commitment to employing a local workforce and procuring a local supply chain.”
Think you know Halifax? Think again. It’s an inspiring time for Halifax. Discover your part in it. Visit www.calderdalenextchapter.co.uk/think-you-know-halifax(external link)
The Insider Yorkshire Property Industry Awards winners were announced at an awards ceremony in Leeds on Thursday 22 September 2022.
The year 2024 marks Calderdale’s 50th birthday and there are less than two years to go. Where do we want to be by 2024? What’s our ambition and what will be different? Find out more at www.calderdale.gov.uk/vision