Celebrations are underway in Hull following the start of construction work at the Ganstead Grove site, off Preston Road. Sanctuary Group is developing 54 new homes on the site in partnership with Hull City Council in a £5m project with £1.4m investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

The building work is part of wider regeneration taking place in the Preston Road area, which will include the major refurbishment of existing properties as well as the construction of more than 1,000 new homes. In the first phase of the project, Sanctuary will build 35 two-bedroom houses, 11 three-bed houses and eight one-bed apartments, all available on an affordable rental basis.


Priority for these new homes will be given to local residents whose homes are to be demolished as part of the regeneration programme.

Yorkshire based construction company, Keepmoat, has been appointed by Sanctuary as the contractor for this development, due for completion in December 2014.

Sanctuary and Keepmoat welcomed local partners along to the Ganstead Grove site for a ground-breaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction, and Councillor David Gemmell from Southcotes East ward, who was born just over the road from the site, was invited to dig the first spade into the ground and declare work officially underway.

Rowan Kirk, Sanctuary's Director of Development - Operations, said: "We have been working closely with Hull City Council to commence the first phase of the provision of new homes as part of the Council's wider investment in the regeneration of the area which has been shaped by the local community over a number of years.

"Not only will Sanctuary be transforming the site to provide much needed high quality homes over the next 12 months, we will also be working with our contractor partner Keepmoat to create employment and training opportunities for local people."

(CD/JP)