Engie kicks off £16m Winsford homes

The energy and regeneration specialist, in partnership with housing providers QWest Homes, ForViva and Cheshire West and Chester Council, has started remediation work to prepare a brownfield site off Wharton Road for 138 homes.

The £16.2m project aims to create affordable zero-carbon new-build homes for Winsford. It comprises two, three- and four-bedroom homes, as well as improvements to local highway infrastructure and community open space.

The homes will be energy efficient and provide electric vehicle charging points as standard, according to Engie, although customers will also have the option to upgrade their new home to net-zero carbon by integrating further renewable energy systems and smart home technologies.

QWest Homes is a joint venture between Cheshire West & Chester Council and Engie, which expands on the existing QWest Services, under which the company provides several key public services in partnership with the council.

For the Wharton Road scheme, QWest Homes is also partnering with Salford-based ForViva Housing Group and government agency Homes England, the latter of which is to provide more than £4m of public funding to support delivery of the new homes.

The partnership deal was signed this month, enabling construction work to begin, and the project is expected to complete in February 2023.

Peter Hayes, head of land and partnership at Engie, said: “The signing of this deal is the culmination of 18 months of working collaboratively with our partners to develop an innovative, financially efficient housing delivery model, helping QWest and the council to deliver low carbon, affordable homes.

“These homes will be a fantastic addition to Winsford, and we’re excited to get started on site and bring our expertise to the regeneration of the area.”

Ben Cummins, managing director of QWest Services and QWest Homes, said, “We’re assisting CWAC in becoming one of the first councils in the UK to develop its own self-sufficient model for delivering quality affordable housing.

“At the same time, we’re helping the council to use its land assets more efficiently and offering people greater quality, choice and affordability in the local housing market.”