Beech Hill redevelopment housing scheme in Halifax wins prestigious regional award

The Beech Hill redevelopment, which sees three derelict tower blocks, a depot and nine disused garages replaced with 106 new two, three, four, and five-bedroomed homes was a winner at the 2023 Northern Housing Awards.

It picked up the Partnering Scheme of the Year award following the collaboration between Together Housing, Calderdale Council, Esh Construction and Equans to make the project a success.

The project had previously been seen as ‘unviable’ and ‘impossible’ due to the landscape and costs associated with the demolition and subsequent redevelopment.

Five of the new homes will include bespoke adaptations to meet the needs of families with disabilities, funded through the Disabled Facilities Grant.

The first 20 of the new-build homes have been completed, with the rest set for handover in the coming months.

Judges were impressed, saying: “The commitment of this partnership to take on an apparently untouchable project is incredible. The impressive collaboration brought innovation, inward investment, and community development at real scale.”

Together Housing’s project to refurbish 68 homes with energy efficient measures in Illingworth was also shortlisted at the awards in the Best Retrofit Initiative category.

George Paterson, Together Housing Group Executive Director of Property, said: “The transformation at Beech Hill is phenomenal. It really is a ground-breaking project and collectively we’re so proud of our achievements.

“The new homes will have a hugely positive impact on the Halifax community. Hopefully, our success also shows that it’s possible to redevelop even the most challenging sites when you have the right team on board.”

Coun Scott Patient, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Resilience, said: “It’s brilliant to see the Beech Hill transformation win such a prestigious award, less than a year since it was named Residential Development of the Year at the Insider Yorkshire Property Industry Awards 2022.

“It’s great recognition and a fitting award given our commitment to partnership working which is making this project a success. A project that will make life better for local people, contribute to Calderdale’s climate action and help the area to thrive.”