Transforming an underused piece of land prone to anti-social behaviour into affordable housing with a local workforce, positively impacting the local labour market, as well as increasing housing supply.
At a glance
What went in
Priority area addressed: The Burden Road scheme was specifically designed to deliver affordable family homes that meet the growing rental demand.
Budget: The total development costs for the scheme amounted to £1.350 million. This included a grant of £0.368 million received from Homes England. The remaining funding was sourced from rental income generated by the scheme, supplemented by cross-subsidy from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) reserves.
Timeframe to completion: The contractor selected for the scheme was Geo. Houlton & Sons, a local SME developer. Construction work on the site commenced on 15 April 2024. The project reached practical completion on 28 February 2025, marking the successful conclusion of the development phase.
What came out
An underused piece of land, previously attracting anti-social behaviour, has been transformed into four well designed, energy efficient and affordable family homes to meet local housing needs. The procurement of a local SME developer has also positively impacted local labour markets by employing a local workforce and providing on-site apprenticeships.
Executive summary
Beverley is a high market value area, where private rents are high and purchasing properties from the open market is difficult for low-income families. The Burden Road scheme was specifically designed to deliver affordable family homes that meet the growing rental demand.
The homes were built to Category M4(2) standards for accessibility and designed with a fabric-first approach to energy efficiency and low thermal u-values.
Both the design of the homes and the site itself were carefully considered to create an attractive environment. This was achieved by developing an underused plot of land, which fits in well with the surrounding area.
Challenge and context
East Riding of Yorkshire Council is committed to increasing its council housing stock by delivering new council homes through various routes, such as:
- council-led new build developments
- the Acquisition and Works programme
- Right to Buy replacement schemes and
- Section 106 acquisitions.
This aligns with the Local Authority’s priorities of:
- Growing the economy: The use of local labour has enabled people to live, work and spend in the local area.
- Empowering and supporting communities: Enabling people to be rehoused in the local area and be part of the local community.
- Helping young people and children achieve: Providing warm and healthy homes to combat the health and educational disadvantages caused by poor housing.
The northern part of Beverley has seen limited development of affordable housing. It is close to several primary and secondary schools; it is easily accessible on foot to the town centre and has good bus routes to other wider locations.
In February 2024, there were 218 applicants on the housing register for two and three bed houses in Beverley. Over the last four years, only 22 new council homes have been acquired in Beverley, six of which were houses and the remainder were flats. As the above data suggests, there is a high level of unmet demand for family houses which are affordable to rent in Beverley.
What we did
The site, formerly an area of council owned greenspace, is situated in the residential town of Beverley, surrounded by several existing council owned houses. The site was attracting anti-social behaviour, which was a concern for the community and council, as it was also affecting staff and visitors of the adjacent adult learning centre.
Early engagement with the adult learning centre team helped to address and mitigate the potential impact of nearby construction on their day-to-day activities. The collaboration facilitated the development of a clear health and safety plan to maintain a safe environment and always ensure the safety of staff and learners.
Meetings with local ward members were held before submitting any planning applications. This gained their positive support and provided them with sufficient information to be able to discuss the site with their local constituents. The project costs were higher compared to traditional new builds in Beverley. This was due to several factors, including: drainage constraints, increased space standards, the inclusion of energy efficiency measures and the council’s commitment to high standards and sustainability, all of which contributed to the overall development costs.
Despite these challenges, the project successfully met BHL (Building for a Healthy Life) criteria. The scheme achieved eight green and four amber lights. The amber ratings are due to the nature of the site being a small infill location.
The difference
While the scheme is a small infill site of four dwellings, the successful design of the two and three-bed homes has become the blueprint for future council-delivered schemes. This will result in reduced design time and expedited progress through the RIBA stages.
Lessons learned
The contractor was procured through the YorBuild3 Minor Works Framework, LOT 3 (New Housing up to 25 units). This framework limited the choice of contractors able to tender. We are reviewing procurement through frameworks for future schemes to ensure a broader selection of contractors.
We involved our tenant influence panel, conducting site visits after completion. Their feedback has been very positive overall, with only minor suggestions for aesthetic changes to the kitchens. The panel will be included in future kitchen design choices.
The council completed a scheme of 16 affordable homes in Withernsea in December 2024. Additionally, we have three further sites under construction, which will deliver 104 new build dwellings into the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). Asset Strategy is committed to delivering new build affordable housing, as outlined in the HRA Business Plan.
Contact
Nuala Taylor, Principal Asset Officer, Strategic Investment and Development