Street of council houses in Sleaford is transformed by £8.9m project

The £8.9 million scheme to renovate, improve and rebuild the homes on Newfield Road in Sleaford has taken three years to complete, with tenants moving in and out in phases for the work to be carried out.

Interested parties were at the site to enjoy the finished product and see Council Leader Richard Wright cut the ribbon on what he described as a “truly transformational project”, converting houses built in 1928 into homes fit for the 21st century and meet modern standards that would be the envy of many private homes on the market.

Coun Wright said: “We had to address huge issues in that these were 80-year-old homes with damp, poor thermal performance, parking issues, underused large gardens and shared access.”

All options were considered before settling on regeneration, in constant consultation with residents, which showed they were happy to use some of their garden for bigger living space and parking, while also accepting giving up some garden space to create more homes on the street - increasing the number from 63 to 81 properties.

Work by D Brown Building Contractors began in April 2016. Houses were stripped back to the shell to deal with the damp, replace windows and doors, renew wiring, plastering and plumbing. A single storey extension was added to the back of the houses to make the living space bigger which created a dining room, downstairs shower room and a study room.

External insulation has made the homes more thermal efficient, and the estate feels more contemporary with the layout remodelled.

Regular events, newsletters and a Facebook group were arranged to help tenants stay informed and support one another. Employment opportunities were also created on site and Homes England awarded grants worth around £450,000 towards building work.

Coun Wright added: “We’re not going to stop, we have other projects in mind and we need to see more of this, not just in North Kesteven, but also all other authorities should be doing this as well.”

Pat Cross used to be the tenant representative on the street and said: “The transformation has been lovely, and it has all been worthwhile.”

Site manager Deene McCracken said it had been life changing for some tenants, with his team adopting one man with learning disabilities to come out of his shell having been unwilling to step outside. Deene said: “We did a wear it pink day for Breast Cancer and we organised a health and safety tour for the children. We have had residents in tears saying we have done such a fantastic job - that is our satisfaction.”