SJ Roberts starts on £3.3m Powys housing contract

South Shropshire building firm SJ Roberts has started work on two schemes for Powys County Council, two years after a former school was demolished to make way for social housing.

The local authority formally awarded contracts for council-owned sites at Gungrog Nursery & Infant School in Welshpool, and Maes yr Esgob in North Powys, last month – worth a total of £3.3m, according to official tender documents.

Planning permission for 34 homes across the sites was awarded in two separate applications in 2024 and 2025.

“These schemes build on our growing relationship with the council and we’re proud to be supporting a number of important projects across the county,” said Mike Sambrook, managing director at SJ Roberts Construction.

“As a locally based contractor, we take real pride in delivering projects that will have a lasting impact on the communities around us. These 34 homes have been designed to provide high-quality, energy-efficient accommodation that responds directly to local housing need, and we’re looking forward to seeing both schemes take shape over the coming months.”

Gungrog School closed following construction of a new facility at Salop Road in Welshpool during 2020, and subsequently demolished in late 2024.

Cllr Matthew Dorrance, deputy leader of Powys County Council said the scheme would make a “lasting difference” to housing provision in the county.

“It was fantastic to see work begin on these much-needed council homes. They represent another important step in our commitment to providing secure, affordable and high-quality homes for people across Powys,” he said.

“Council homes are key to ending the housing emergency, and these developments show the progress we are making to increase their supply across the county. They will help meet a range of local housing needs, giving individuals and families the opportunity to put down roots in the communities they know.”