A housebuilder has transformed the site of a former textile engineering works to provide homes with the accent on access.
SB Homes is constructing its Empire Works scheme on the brownfield site between Howgate Road and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal at Slaithwaite.
Along with a collection of 36 two and three-storey houses built in stone with timber cladding, the scheme includes the conversion of a former joinery workshop on the site to create Old Bank Works providing 14 apartments with lift access and two T-shaped apartment buildings together providing 24 two-bedroom properties.
The scheme is aimed at older people and SB Homes partnered with CIBES Lift UK to install four platform lifts in the apartment buildings – two for each block – to ensure the flats are accessible to people with disabilities.
One of the blocks will be completed in the spring and the other finished for the summer.
In addition, buyers of the three and four-bedroom houses have the option of having a domestic lift installed in their new home. The first phase of 20 houses have been completed and sold with a second phase scheduled to begin later in the year.
Stephen Byram, managing director at SB Homes, said: “When creating planning designs for Empire Works, we understood that the Slaithwaite village centre area was lacking high quality, accessible accommodation.
“Being set in a valley side, we found that many elderly homeowners, who have lived in — and loved — the village for all their lives felt trapped in a situation where they could either leave the area or stick where they were in homes that were now too big and required far too much maintenance for them.
“Being an SME housebuilding firm, it’s important that we understand the needs of the people in the area and are fine-tuned into what’s required to make the properties as safe and comfortable for potential owners as possible.
“So offering accessible housing in an area that is crying out for it is a great way for us to support local people and is part of us giving back to the areas in which we develop.”
Gary Sullivan, marketing and sales director at CIBES, said: “A staggering amount of councils in England don’t have plans to address the lack of accessible housing, so it is becoming more and more important for construction firms to take on this responsibility and prioritise accessibility within new developments.
“When many housing developers think of domestic lifts they tend to picture a bulky, obstructive eye sore that will ruin the aesthetic of the property and put off potential buyers. This is not the case at all, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Domestic lifts are often considered a selling point by potential buyers as it means the properties can be a ‘forever home.’
“Accessible homes aren’t just beneficial for people with disabilities and mobility issues, they improve independent living for older people, as well as families with young children.”
Marsden-based SB Homes, which last year celebrated 20 years in business, has made a speciality of developing disused brownfield sites, principally in the Colne Valley.
Stephen worked with his brothers, who run Byram Construction, before founding SB Homes in 1997. Since then, he has built hundreds of properties in the Colne Valley, employing dozens of tradespeople, some of whom have been with him since day one.
Previous developments have included Clough Lee, The Green, Millwright, Deer Hill and Packhorse Court in Marsden. There is also a scheme for the fire station in Marsden.
