Brownfield Site for Walsall Homes

During a recent visit, Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands praised GreenSquareAccord’s (GSA) Canalside Close development which is being built in partnership with Keon Homes.

GSA’s Canalside Close development, located in Blakenall Heath in Walsall, will provide 33 affordable homes on disused industrial land close to the Wyrley and Essington canal. The housing scheme will be comprised of one and two bed apartments alongside houses with two and three bedrooms totalling 33 new and fully affordable homes.

The West Midlands Mayor’s visit to Canalside Close was part of a campaign to seek new powers to block controversial Green Belt developments and reclaim even more derelict industrial sites.

Andy commented:

“Canalside Close is a perfect example of what can be achieved when a builder and a housing association tap into new modern methods of construction through a partner like LoCaL Homes.

“We will eventually have 33 new homes for individuals and families to enjoy – all benefitting from high energy efficiency that is so important during the current cost-of-living crisis.”

Construction on the first properties at Canalside Close is complete with the new occupants already collecting the keys to their homes.

Sophie Green, a GSA customer who recently moved into her new home at Canalside Close, said:

“I am starting to feel settled into my new place and it’s amazing to know that I’m the first person to live here. It’s great to have the towpath so nearby which is perfect for an evening stroll now that the weather is getting better.”

Sophie’s new neighbours Chad and Kelly said:

“We are really happy with our new houses and the service we have received so far.”

Mike Nolan, Head of Development at GSA said:

“It is fantastic to see construction of the first homes at our Canalside development in Blakenall Heath now complete. It can only be good news for the local community that we are providing 33 new homes on a site which had become a hot spot for fly tipping in recent years. Our new homes at Canalside Close will help to address local housing pressure without impacting on precious green spaces.”

All the new homes on Canalside Close will be built using the low carbon LoCaL Homes Eco-200 off-site closed timber panel system, which is reducing construction times on site, and achieving savings overall in terms of carbon release.

The external wall panels will be finished with a brick slip system applied in the factory and will further improve both the quality and delivery of the development. Waste will also be dramatically reduced and will make for a much cleaner and safer site.

Mike Doolan, Sales and Partnership Manager at LoCaL Homes said:

“We recently had the pleasure of giving Mayor Street and his colleagues a tour around our award-winning factory in Walsall.

“It was great to follow up on this with a visit to the Canalside Close development where the West Midlands Mayor could see first-hand how LoCaL Homes’ off-site closed timber frames have been deployed.

“The future occupants of the homes at Canalside Close will benefit from reduced fuel bills thanks to a fabric first design approach and thermal efficient materials used in construction.”

Incoming residents to Canalside Close will have an allocated parking space, access to cycle storage and will be a short stroll away from the canal towpath.

Matt Beckley, Head of Development at Keon Homes, said:

“It is built into our operating strategy that we are ‘Brownfield First’ and the development at Canalside Close shows why it is the right decision.

“This was a derelict piece of land in an area that desperately needed affordable housing. Working in partnership with GSA, LoCaL Homes and local authority partners we have brought it to life in a way that really benefits the local community.”

The Canalside Close development is within easy reach of several local schools, including Rivers and Goldsmith Primary Academies, a nursery and playing fields which make the housing scheme an ideal base for those with young children.