AMBITIONS to transform an underused area of a Leicester estate have reached an important milestone with the appointment of a construction partner.
Following a competitive tendering exercise, Leicester City Council has selected Clegg Construction as its delivery partner for the major £18.8 million redevelopment of the Stocking Farm estate, in the north-west of the city.
The city council has worked closely with the local community over recent years to shape proposals for the area, which will see 50 new energy-efficient family council homes built on the 3.34-acre site, along with new community facilities. An additional five existing council maisonettes will also be improved as part of the scheme.
All the new homes will be built to the highest energy performance standards and feature a range of energy efficiency measures, meaning cheaper energy bills for council tenants and significant carbon savings.
The existing locally-listed Stocking Farm farmhouse building – which dates to the 19th century – will also be redeveloped to provide six much-needed supported living apartments. An additional 16 supported living apartments will be created in the grounds.
Major landscaping will also be carried out to provide attractive community outdoor space, with improved footpaths, sustainable drainage and space for wildlife to flourish.
There will be another opportunity for residents to be involved in the design of the new community open space in the coming months.
A new road will also be constructed connecting Marwood Road to Packwood Road. Existing pedestrian links between the new homes and shops will also be improved.
Designs will be finalised over the coming months with construction of the new homes expected to begin by winter 2026.
The first homes are expected to be complete by mid-2028.
Deputy city mayor Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, who leads on housing, economy and neighbourhoods, said: “We are committed to investing in our council estates and local neighbourhoods. Stocking Farm presents an opportunity to make lasting and ambitious improvements that will transform this neighbourhood, provide much-needed new council homes and bring real benefits to the area.
“I’m pleased that we have now appointed Clegg Construction as our delivery partner for this ambitious scheme which will help bring unused land and property back into use, improve life for local residents, and help kickstart the regeneration of this important part of the city.”
Michael Sims, managing director of Clegg Construction, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Leicester City Council to deliver much needed new homes in Leicester. This is a significant project that will provide modern new homes, and we look forward to working closely with the council and the team to bring the development forward and deliver a scheme that everyone involved can be proud of.”
Christian White, pre-construction director of Clegg Construction Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be working with Leicester City Council to deliver new sustainable homes in the heart of the Stocking Farm estate.
“Utilising modern methods of construction, these new homes will be delivered to exceed benchmark industry targets for embodied carbon, and we will use renewable technologies to deliver sustainable homes which will be fit for future generations and meet the growing demand for new affordable housing.
“We will also work closely with project stakeholders, local community groups and businesses to ensure that we deliver tangible social impact within the local community and surrounding areas.”
The cost of the Stocking Farm regeneration scheme will be covered using money from Leicester City Council’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA) which includes rent income, government funding and capital from Right to Buy receipts.
Unused Right to Buy money is returned to the Government unless it is spent, so housing schemes like this help ensure the money is reinvested locally into much-needed affordable housing.
The city council was also awarded £500,000 of government funding from the One Public Estate (OPE) programme to support delivery of these high-quality council homes, including demolition and site preparation costs.