Construction begins to turn vacant city site into affordable homes
Wakefield Council says work has begun to transform the site of the former Chantry House building into 50 new affordable homes.
There will be 26 townhouses, and 24 apartments built on the site by Caddick Construction and owned and managed by WDH, for affordable rent and shared ownership.
Councillor Michael Graham, cabinet member for regeneration and economic growth, said: “I am really pleased to see work beginning on this site.
“Good quality housing is the foundation for economic growth and the priority is for Wakefield to have a high-quality housing offer that meets our residents’ needs.
“The Chantry House site is part of our plans to deliver more, better and affordable homes in our district. It is so important to us to create and provide places for people to live and be proud to call home.
“We want to encourage people to come and live and work in Wakefield. Creating vibrant communities which will provide a real boost to our local businesses and high street.
“The Kirkgate area is a key gateway into the city centre, and this is the next vital step in our regeneration plans.”
The council began preparing this site for development in 2020.
Joel Owen, service director for development at WDH, said: “We’re excited to be working with Wakefield Council to transform the centre of Wakefield and provide much needed high quality affordable homes.
“Investing in our communities is a key priority for WDH and by transforming the former Chantry House site, we’re breathing new life into the city centre creating a new, vibrant community enabling better futures for our customers.”
Yorkshire-based Caddick Construction has been appointed as main contractor on the project, with Caddick Civil Engineering also appointed to deliver remediation and groundworks.
Steve Ford, regional managing director for Caddick Construction Yorkshire & North East, said: “As a Wakefield-based business, we are proud to have been selected as main contractor and civil engineering partner on this new neighbourhood for Wakefield Council and WDH.
“We have 40 years of experience building high-quality projects across the region, and in that time we’ve also developed a reliable and local supply chain network that we will enlist the expertise of at Chantry House.”
This project will complement other housing projects underway in the city centre, including work to transform the former police station on Wood Street and to deliver new mews style family homes on the site of the former Rishworth Street Car Park.
The Chantry House scheme will re-use land that is currently vacant and will help create the proposed Kirkgate Gateway into the city centre.
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