Henry Boot starts on brownfield homes scheme

Work is now underway on a social housing project in Chesterfield, one of the first to be backed by a £36m brownfields housing fund.

Contractors at Henry Boot Construction moved in to start work building 18 houses at Mastin Moor this month, a scheme backed by the East Midlands Combined County Authority’s “brownfields fund”, aimed at bringing former industrial sites forward for housing development.

Earlier this month, East Midlands’ Mayor Claire Ward announced an extension to the scheme which she said would result in over 700 houses being built on brownfield land across the region.

In total, Henry Boot Construction will deliver seven four-bedroom homes and eleven two-bedroom homes, all allocated to families on Chesterfield Borough Council’s housing register.

“This project is a powerful example of how we’re turning our vision for inclusive growth into reality,” said Ward.

“Through the Brownfield Housing Fund, we’re creating high-quality, affordable homes that meet the needs of local families while supporting greener, more sustainable communities.

“By investing in places like Mastin Moor, we’re making the East Midlands a region that everyone is proud to call home.”

Councillor Jean Innes, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, added: “As a council, we remain committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing for local people and this latest project is helping us to achieve this.

“We are really pleased that EMCCA has allocated part of its Brownfield Housing Fund to help deliver this project that will provide much needed homes for local families. We look forward to working with EMCCA and Henry Boot Construction and watching the project progress.”

To mark the start of the project, Mayor Claire joined the Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, Councillor Tricia Gilby, and Cllr Innes for a site visit hosted by Henry Boot Construction.

Mat Clarke, the firm’s head of construction said: “We’re proud to be supporting Chesterfield Borough Council in its mission to deliver affordable, energy-efficient homes for families across the borough.”

“It’s great for us to be back in Chesterfield after recently working with the council on its largest housing development in decades at Badger Croft, and we’re delighted to continue playing our part in increasing the local housing supply.”