News: Work starts on £30m affordable homes development in Rotherham

Great Places and Keepmoat have started work on site for 120 new affordable homes at Midland Road in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported earlier this year that planning permission had been secured for the 3.9 hectare brownfield site at Masbrough.

The development will transform a brownfield site formerly used as a bus depot into a high‑quality new residential neighbourhood, delivering much‑needed homes for social rent and supporting the regeneration of the area.

Great Places is investing £30m to transform the site into a mix of homes designed to meet a range of local housing needs, including four one-bedroom homes, 35 two-bedroom homes, 65 three-bedroom homes and 16 four-bedroom homes. All 120 homes will be available for social rent, offering long-term affordable housing for local people.

The scheme has been designed to create an attractive and welcoming place to live, with communal amenity spaces to support residents and encourage community life.

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Keepmoat is delivering the construction, with funding support from Great Places Homes England’s Strategic Partnership (SP2). The first homes are expected to be handed over in spring 2027.

Nick Gornall, Director of Growth at Great Places, said: "We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Keepmoat to bring forward 120 new affordable homes for social rent at Midland Road. This development will turn a long-vacant brownfield site close to Rotherham town centre into a high-quality new neighbourhood, helping to meet local housing need and supporting wider regeneration in the area. It also reflects our continued commitment to investing in South Yorkshire and creating more affordable homes in places where they are needed most."

Warren Thompson, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat, Yorkshire West, added: "We’re honoured to be partnering with Great Places to create much needed affordable housing options in Rotherham, whilst transforming a former bus depot into a thriving community.

"At Keepmoat, we’re committed to building more than just homes, we’re creating sustainable neighbourhoods and this partnership is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through strategic collaboration."

Great Places website

Keepmoat website

Images: Great Places

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News: £13.2m housing development set for Catcliffe

Great Places and Strata have started work on a new development of 76 affordable homes on land off Blue Mans Way at Catcliffe in Rotherham, following planning approval.

The £13.2mscheme, the inaugural partnership project for Great Places and Strata, will transform redundant scrub land into a high-quality, new housing development.

The scheme will provide a range of homes for Affordable Rent and Shared Ownership and drive tenure diversification in the area.

The scheme will comprise a mix of two-bed apartments, alongside one, two, three and four-bed houses with 29 available for shared ownership and 47 for affordable rent.

The one-bed houses are an innovative addition to the site, and offer a one-bed housing option with private garden and the increased versatility of a house.

The shared ownership will be available through Plumlife Homes.

The plans were approved without going in front of Rotherham Council's planning board, despite a number of objections.

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Helen Spencer, Director of Development at Great Places, said: “We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Strata to deliver this new scheme. It is a great example of what can be achieved through effective partnership work.

“This exciting new development really has something to offer everyone. It’s perfect for couples and young professionals looking for a new home in a great location and only a short commute from Rotherham and Sheffield.

“The demand for this type of affordable housing continues to be high and Great Places remains committed to creating great homes in all of the areas we operate in. Catcliffe compliments our current work in the local area, and we’re sure it will prove popular.”

Mark Leaf, Land and Planning Director at Strata, added: “We are excited to be working collaboratively with Great Places to deliver high-quality, new homes in the area. The project marks Strata’s move to deliver homes as a contractor using our new partnership model.

“As a Yorkshire-based business, we are also committed to helping boost the housing offer for local people and are pleased to transform redundant scrubland into a thriving new community.”

The development is due to take around two years to complete.

Great Places website

Images: Great Places / Strata

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News: Further large Rotherham housing developments planned

Further planning applications have been submitted for hundreds of new houses across Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported last month that plans had been submitted by Barratt Homes in Dinnington, Bellway Homes in Swallownest and Avant Homes at Waverley.

Now a number of seperate planning applications have been submitted to Rotherham Council for sites across the borough.

At Kiveton Park, Strata Homes, is hoping to secure planning permission for close to 200 new homes on land at Chapel Way / Stockwell Avenue.

The application site comprises approximately 10.16 hectares of land between Kiveton Community Woodland and the existing housing estate. Currently comprising of arable land with a dense landscaped edge to the south, the site was put forward as residential use in the approved Local Development Plan.

The local plan had the site capable of some 268 homes but the Strata application is for 196 - a mix of detached, semi-detached and terraced units. It includes provision for affordable units, totalling 49 units and 147 open market units.

Pegasus, consultants for the housebuilder, state in the plans: "The scheme seeks to bring forward a viable scheme on a longstanding residential allocation. It is considered that the scheme will achieve the viable implementation of housing in Kiveton and will be a positive contribution to the Council’s housing delivery targets."

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Strata is also involved with progressing plans for new houses at Blue Man's Way in Catcliffe. In partnership with Strata, Great Places Housing is intending to access grant funding from Homes England to enable the 100% provision of affordable housing on the site.

Close to the Parkway and Morrison's, using the area for housing is contentious and a 2016 application for 64 houses was refused but later approved at appeal in February 2017. Nearby land to the south of the Site, adjacent to Morrison’s, has planning permission for 85 dwellings which is being delivered by Barratts as The Glassworks development.

The latest plans are for 76 dwellings, for shared ownership and rent, and will comprise a range of 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom units.

Residents of Blue Man's Way continue to register opposition to the plans to use the road as the main access to the new site.

At Dinnington, an outline application has been submitted for 46 houses on land to the rear 166 Swinston Hill Road. The site is near to where Taylor Wimpey secured planning permission for 157 houses last year.

The latest plans, from London-based T&J Wilkinson, are a revision of earlier plans for up to 35 houses.

In the North of the borough, Rothbiz understands that a national housebuilder has begun developing plans for a large number of houses at Pontefract Road / Barnsley Road.

Images: Google Maps

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News: Contracts signed on £28m Rotherham housing development

A £28m housing regeneration project is making progress in Rotherham, with the signing of a contract to bring 237 energy efficient homes to the area.

Leading energy, services and regeneration specialist, ENGIE, will lead the transformation of derelict land at Whinney Hill and Chesterhill Avenue which has lain vacant for many years since the former dwellings were demolished. This much anticipated new development has had strong local support from the start and has been granted funding from Homes England, the government's housing agency.

The planning application was approved earlier this year.

ENGIE has brought together three partners to offer a mixed tenure proposition of 84 homes on behalf of Great Places Housing Group, 73 new homes for Sanctuary Homes (62 for rent and 11 shared ownership); as well as 80 homes for market rent through Wise Living.

It was originally envisaged that Sigma would be part of the scheme and be resposible for the open market homes.

The land for the development was provided by Rotherham Council as a strategic regeneration site. The development is comprised of a mix of houses, bungalows and flats – ranging from one to four bedroom – and will all feature energy efficient boilers, high levels of insulation and air tightness, and each plot will have the provision for EV charging points.

ENGIE, which has an office in Manvers, said that it will utilise a local supply chain to invest in the region's economy during the build process, as well as pledging to create apprenticeship opportunities.

David Parkes, managing director for ENGIE's Places & Communities division, said: "This is regeneration and partnership working in its truest form.  The council identified this brownfield land as a priority site to help meet local housing need, so we are delighted to bring together a range of partners to bring this vision to life. This new development will regenerate the area, offering much-needed new energy efficient homes, jobs and opportunities for local people.

"At ENGIE we are committed to helping our partners in the transition to a net zero carbon future and projects such as this help us to make significant moves towards that goal. We have a longstanding relationship with Rotherham Council and are delighted to be bringing together a dedicated team, who will bring this vision to life."

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Cllr. Dominic Beck, Cabinet Member for Housing at Rotherham Council, added: "I'm delighted that the Whinney Hill and Chesterhill Avenue sites will be developed to create much-needed homes in the borough. This development demonstrates what can be achieved through partnership working and I'd like to thank ENGIE for their investment in our community. This project marks a significant milestone in Rotherham's 30-year Housing Strategy – providing high quality and energy-efficient homes for local people."

Rotherham Council had previously signed a development agreement with Keepmoat that commenced in May 2014 but a start on site was not achieved within the agreed period and the legal agreement ended in 2017.

Helen Spencer, director of development at Great Places, said: "We're delighted to be working in partnership to deliver this landmark development. This project will go some way to tackling the housing crisis in the local area, providing much needed homes and transforming this derelict site into a thriving new community."

Rob Harbourne, senior development manager at Sanctuary, said: "We are delighted to be working with ENGIE, Rotherham Council and other partners to deliver this exciting project that will breathe new life into this area of Rotherham."

Mark Gratton, land & partnerships director at Wise Living, said: "We're really excited about getting underway with the proposed scheme in Rotherham which will see 237 new homes built. This is an area we feel will really benefit from quality new housing being delivered and with three partners all taking elements of the site to offer different tenures, this regeneration scheme should really meet the needs of all.

"This is our first scheme working together with ENGIE who we see as a key partner going forward in helping to deliver our ambitious aim of 2,000 decent homes and great places to live per annum, with a number of future sites in the pipeline together."

The project is expected to take approximately two years to complete.

ENGIE website

Images: ENGIE / MHA

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News: Board approval for Rotherham regeneration scheme

A planning application for a long-awaited regeneration scheme that aims to create a new housing development on vacant land at Thrybergh has gained the approval of the planning board at Rotherham Council.

Rothbiz reported in January that ENGIE had developed proposals with partners for a project for over 200 dwellings of various sizes and tenures on Council land at Chesterhill Avenue and Whinney Hill.

Local communities have been "understandably frustrated at the lack of visible progress" as Rotherham Council's development agreement with Keepmoat commenced in May 2014 but a start on site was not achieved within the agreed period and the legal agreement ended in 2017. Indeed, only four letters of objection were received which planners say is unusual for a housing development of this size.

Now plans are progressing for new affordable housing through partners and long term site managers, Sanctuary Homes (73 dwellings) and Great Places Housing (84 dwellings). Sigma, which is leading the delivery of private rented housing in the UK, will deliver 80 houses on the scheme which are set to go on the open market.

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Plans have been updated (from 239 to 237 total dwellings) and now dwellings include two and three bed bungalows, one and two bed flats, and houses ranging from three to four bedrooms in size. Each plot will be provided with an electric charging point adjacent to the driveway.

Due to site levels, there are a large amount of retaining structures proposed as a part of the site layout including retaining walls and gabion walls. A landscape buffer along Doncaster Road is proposed as are small pockets of public open space. Applicants state that 248 new trees are proposed to be planted across the site.

Richard Levin, partnerships manger at ENGIE, explained: "The proposal will bring forward the development of 237 dwellings on the two sites at Whinney Hill and Chesterhill Avenue. Both of which are currently undeveloped, brownfield sites.

"The proposal will bring forward regeneration and investment in the area. It will create a vibrant community in Thrybergh and will deliver much needed affordable housing."

With a number of conditions attached, the plans were approved by the planning board unanimously.

Backed by funding from Homes England, construction is due to start this month.

ENGIE website

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News: Revised Rotherham regeneration plans resubmitted

A planning application has been submitted for a long-awaited regeneration scheme that aims to create a new housing development on vacant land at Thrybergh.

Rotherham Council put the key brownfield sites at Chesterhill Avenue and Whinney Hill back on the market after a previous scheme with its partners, Keepmoat (know part of ENGIE) failed to materialise.

Local communities have been "understandably frustrated at the lack of visible progress" as the development agreement with Keepmoat commenced in May 2014 but a start on site was not achieved within the agreed period and the legal agreement ended in 2017.

Now ENGIE has come back in with proposals and three partners on the project which is for a total of 239 dwellings of various sizes and tenures.

The plans explain: "Great Places will provide a proportion of the affordable units and Sanctuary Homes is a housing developer that provides a range of tenures, and on this site it will provide an element of the affordable housing and all of the proposed shared ownership dwellings. Both of these development partners are registered providers of social housing.

"Sigma is leading the delivery of private rented housing in the UK and will be delivering the Private Rented Sector (PRS) element of this development. Together, these development partners will be the long-term landlords and management arm at the site."

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There are set to be 147 affordable units, 12 shared ownership and 80 private rented sector properties. The northern sections of the site is with Sanctuary, the south western portion is with Sigma and the south eastern portion is with Great Places.

Dwellings include two and three bed bungalows, one and two bed flats, and houses ranging from three to five bedrooms in size.

The development will be accessed from the three existing access points on Oldgate Lane and the levels of the sites has been one of the major constraints to overcome. Pockets of public open spaces are included in the full plans and the green buffer between the site and Doncaster Road is set to be retained.

ENGIE website
Great Places website
Sigma website
Sanctuary website

Images: ENGIE

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News: HCA funding could lead to more Great Places in Rotherham

Great Places Housing Group is looking to build on their successful housing developments in Rotherham after securing £4.9m from the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) Affordable Homes Programme.

The housing association submitted a bid to the HCA for grants to build 189 much-needed new homes in Rotherham and Sheffield that will be available for both affordable home ownership and affordable rent.

It has also helped to secure £35m to build 1,562 homes over the next four years across the north west – one of the largest allocations in the region.

Stephen Porter, chief executive at Great Places, said: "Our allocation will allow us to fulfil the need for quality affordable housing and provide people with real homes for the future. For Great Places this is fabulous news and will help us continue to grow and be successful in this difficult economic climate."

Naz Parkar, head of area at the Homes and Communities Agency, added: "This is great news, bringing quality new homes to the area. It is one of a series of major new contracts which create new homes and boost the local economy, as well as delivering excellent value for public money."

The first development for Great Places in Rotherham was the £2m scheme on the corner of Hollowgate and Moorgate close to the town centre. Completed last year by Richardson Projects Ltd, part of the ROK group, it created 22 one and two-bedroom flats with solar panels and glass balconies.

Construction work is currently underway on a second development for Great Places in Rotherham town centre. The scheme on the site of the former Cinema House and bingo hall on Doncaster Gate (pictured top) will create 20 apartments across four floors. It is due to be completed next year.

Great Places website
HCA website

Images: MBLA Architects

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News: Great new apartments for Rotherham town centre under way

Work has started on new apartments for affordable rent, to be aimed at people who work in Rotherham town centre. A total of 22 one and two-bedroom flats – with solar panels and glass balconies - are being created at the corner of Moorgate Road and Hollowgate, by Great Places Housing Group. The £2m development is the first in Rotherham for Great Places, a multi-award-winning group that works all over the north of England. It has been funded by the Homes and Communities Agency, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Transform South Yorkshire. Matthew Harrison, director of development and deputy chief executive at Great Places Housing Group, said: "We’re really excited about developing in Rotherham. "These much-needed new homes, to be aimed at people who work locally and want to live close to the town centre, will be among the best affordable accommodation around. Solar panels will keep residents’ heating bills down and save energy. "The apartments are part of wider regeneration initiatives that will really make a difference, and change things for the better." Cllr Jahangir Akhtar, cabinet nember for neighbourhoods for Rotherham Borough Council, added: "These apartments will be a welcome addition to the exciting vision that will not only transform the town centre but also repopulate it. In addition it has never been a more important time to provide good affordable housing options to our residents." Homes, being built by contractor Richardson Projects Ltd, part of the ROK group, will be completed next year.

Great Places Housing website
Rotherham

Image: greatplaces.org.uk

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