Esh breaks ground on Sheffield affordable homes

Work is under way on the £19m zero-gas development at Newstead to deliver 77 apartments and houses for Sheffield City Council.

Designed by Peak Architects, the homes with enhanced sustainability credentials will comprise 36 one- and two-bed apartments with communal gardens, alongside 41 two-, three-, and four-bed houses with private gardens.

The project, which is expected to complete in summer 2026, has been granted £1.3m of funding from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s brownfield housing fund.

Esh has committed to employing a local workforce and will also deliver employability sessions to local schools and colleges while on site, as part of its Constructing Local strategy.

All of the homes will be fitted with air source heat pumps instead of traditional gas boilers, as well as enhanced insulation and electric vehicle (EV) chargers.

Team members gathered at the site to mark the start of works. Credit: via Mediaworks

Esh Construction’s operations director, Simon Woodward, said: “Marking the first affordable homes Esh will deliver for Sheffield City Council, we are proud to be supporting the council’s goal to develop energy efficient housing stock that will reduce the environmental impact and ensure long-term affordability for residents.”

Cllr Douglas Johnson, SCC’s chair of the housing policy committee, said: “Our plans remain to build or acquire more than 1,000 council homes in the next five years – and partners such as Esh Construction are instrumental in helping us achieve this.

“Our aim, as always, remains to provide more choice of good quality, environmentally friendly, and affordable homes for residents.

“The council continues to face an unprecedented demand for affordable and social housing in the city, and projects such as Newstead being completed will help to meet some of that demand.”