Work has restarted at our Eskdene Rise housing development, thanks to a new partnership with affordable house builder Adderstone Living.
The new development, in Hetton-le-Hole, will feature 86 new homes, including two, three and four-bedroom houses, two-bedroom bungalows and two-bedroom apartments. The properties will be available for rent, Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy.
Progress on the site was halted in February 2023 when the previous onsite partner, Tolent Living, went into administration. Since then, we have worked hard to appoint a new contractor who can deliver the project to the standard required.
The restarting of works at Eskdene Rise will help us, working with Adderstone Living, to meet the huge demand for affordable social housing across our communities.
Rebecca Bewick, Head of Delivery at Gentoo, said: “Gentoo is committed to creating new affordable homes for the residents of Sunderland and I am pleased that, following the appointment of Adderstone Living, we are now able to create 86 new affordable homes.
“I know this news will be welcomed by nearby residents and those on the housing register who have understandably been frustrated with the delays. With 30,000 people on Gentoo’s housing register the need for more quality, affordable housing has never been greater.”
Adderstone Living, which is a dedicated social housing division of Adderstone Group, is committed to tackling the housing crisis by building affordable housing solutions, seeing strong demand for its products and services, said managing director Stephen McCoy.
He added: “Our business was delighted to be appointed by Gentoo on the Eskdene Rise project. We appreciate the importance of the scheme and the impact the delay has had on local residents so our team are already underway on site to deliver this scheme as quicky and safely as possible.”
As part of Gentoo’s commitment to carbon reduction, the new homes will be built with sustainable technology featuring air source heat pumps, smart meters, photo-voltaic panels, full fill cavity wall insulation and electric vehicle charging points. These energy efficient features are designed to help customers keep their energy usage and bills low.
The new development will transform the local area and will incorporate green space for both new and existing residents to enjoy, while also addressing the ongoing anti-social behaviour issues in the area. The development plans to include 6,920 sq. metres of landscaping and the planting of 108 trees and 2685 shrubs.
