The winner of the 2022 Love Chesterfield Award for Regeneration, which celebrates the built environment in Chesterfield, has heaped praise on the team who made it possible.

A collaborative project between Chesterfield Borough Council and Henry Boot Construction, Badger Croft is described as the ‘largest council housing development in a generation’ in Chesterfield. The £4.1m development has seen 21 brand-new properties constructed on the former Brockwell Court site in Loundsley Green.

The development is providing families with modern homes that have been designed for a more eco-conscious lifestyle. Increased levels of insulation throughout and electric vehicle charging points have been installed on properties with driveways to support lower carbon transport options.

Councillor Chris Ludlow, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “We are delighted that the Badger Croft development has been recognised and won the regeneration award at this year’s Love Chesterfield Awards. The win really is a testament to all the hard work and dedication that has been put in by the council, alongside our partners, Henry Boot Construction.

“Badger Croft is the biggest council housing development of this generation in Chesterfield and marks a huge milestone in our efforts to increase the housing supply across the borough.

“Creating attractive places for residents is at the very heart of what we do and these new properties allow us to provide affordable, modern and accessible homes for families in our borough.”

We recently caught up with Tony Shaw, Managing Director at Henry Boot Construction, to get the company’s reaction to winning the award…

Tell us how pleased you are to have won the Regeneration Award at the Love Chesterfield Awards 2022!

We are delighted that Badger Croft won the Regeneration Award, the project was a collaborative effort between everyone involved which led to a brilliant end product, so it’s great to see the project recognised for its regenerative impact in Chesterfield. The Regeneration award is testament to the hard work of the team in transforming the area into quality housing for local families.

How exciting has the Badger Croft project been to work on as a company, and how much of a benefit has the project had on our local community?

As a company based in Dronfield, working on the project with Chesterfield Borough Council had a really local feeling and this was emphasised by our trusted supply chain, with the brickwork, joinery, plastering, plumbing, roofing and window installation all completed by subcontractors who were based within 20 miles of the site.

In conjunction with the Council, we worked closely with Holmebrook Conservation and Improvement Group to implement key landscaping works in the surrounding area. These works were designed to enhance the attractiveness of the area and boost biodiversity. It included the creation of wildflower meadow paths, new wooden planters and fruit trees, all for the benefit of the local community.

Sustainable development is of upmost importance currently – Tell us about the measures you’ve put in place at Badger Croft to ensure the new homes are efficient.

As champions of sustainability, we completely understood the Council’s need for Badger Croft to take account of environmental issues and contribute to a greener future. The new homes were fitted with increased levels of insulation. These naturally warm and energy-efficient homes are not only better for the environment, but they also reduce the running costs for tenants – something that is extremely important in a period of rising living costs and fuel poverty. The homes also boast electric vehicle charging points in the driveways, helping to future-proof the development and encourage the use of more sustainable modes of transport.

With Chesterfield becoming an increasingly attractive place for young families, how vital is it that we create affordable housing to ensure continued growth in the town?

Projects like Badger Croft are of paramount importance to delivering Chesterfield Borough Council’s commitment to increase the supply of affordable properties across the borough. The project is a prime example of how under-utilised brownfield land can be transformed into bright modern homes, not only providing a place for people to live and thrive, but improving the look and feel of the surrounding area. With a mix of 21 new accessible, efficient 3-4 bedroom homes, this is the largest council housing development in the borough since the 1980s. All the homes were added to the Council’s housing register and let to local families.

Chesterfield’s Property and Construction Group works collaboratively with Chesterfield Borough Council to highlight the town’s ongoing regeneration. Why is creating strong relationships between public and private sector so important?

Chesterfield is a hive of regeneration activity and it is brilliant to see a number of other exciting completed and on-going projects constantly improving Chesterfield’s offer. We believe in nurturing a collaborative approach across all our operations – by building strong relationships with all our public and private sector partners, all parties benefit from increased expertise and open communication, ensuring the Badger Croft project proceeded smoothly. The final result was only possible through an open culture of strong engagement between Henry Boot, its specialist consultants and supply chain and the team at Chesterfield Borough Council.

Find out more about the Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Property and Construction Group, which brings together business leaders of the region’s property sector and Chesterfield Borough Council to shape and drive forward collaboration, investment, sustainability and skills within Chesterfield

https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/propertygroup/