AFFORDABLE housing in Flintshire has received a boost with work beginning on a further 12 council flats in Deeside.

Wates Construction’s partnership with Flintshire Council has seen the council homes built through the Council’s Strategic Housing and Regeneration Programme (SHARP).

The new development, located in Sealand Avenue, Garden City, is the latest in a line of new housing projects to be jointly delivered, which to-date has brought over 150 new homes to the county.

The Leader:

Images above and below: An artist's impression of the development at St Andrew’s Church, Garden City. Source: Wates Residential

With work now underway at Garden City, Wates will build eight two-bedroom flats and a further four one-bedroom flats. Building work is scheduled to complete in spring 2020.

The new homes add to those already under construction by Wates including three new developments in Dobshill, Penyffordd near Holywell and Mold, which will collectively add 111 homes to the SHARP affordable housing portfolio.

The building work forms part of Flintshire Council’s SHARP programme, which aims to bring approximately 500 new homes to the county by 2020 to accommodate rising demand for social and affordable housing.

The Leader:

Wates was appointed as the council’s development partner in 2015 and has since completed the construction of 153 new homes across eight sites. These include new homes in Flint, Shotton, Leeswood, Connah’s Quay and Mold.

Throughout their partnership, Wates Construction and Flintshire Council have fulfilled a joint commitment to engage Flintshire-based supply chain partners to help boost the local job market. Recently this saw them host a major networking event for suppliers and subcontractors from across the county.

Extensive opportunities for on-site training have also been created to provide local people with trade skills and support to help them carve new careers in construction.

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Councillor Dave Hughes, Flintshire Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “SHARP continues to deliver high quality homes which are much needed in Flintshire. This council is committed to delivering the benefits of SHARP to different communities in Flintshire and support the Welsh Government in achieving its target of 20,000 new homes across Wales by 2021.”

David Saville, business unit director, Wates Construction North West, added: “There is some fantastic momentum in Flintshire and it is a very proud moment for the team to see work commence on yet another of these important developments.

“The entire SHARP partnership is focussed on making a difference to the lives of local people, whether this is creating new homes for them to live or providing them with hands-on training within our teams and this proves what can be achieved through a long-term partnership and a shared vision.”

The Leader:

The development site at St Andrew’s Church, Garden City. Source: Wates Residential