Phil McHugh, Vistry’s managing director for Vistry North West Midlands, welcomed Joe Reeves, executive director of Finance & Growth at Midland Heart, the registered provider of affordable housing who will own and manage the properties on completion, and representatives from NBBC to the site to mark this exciting milestone in the creation of new homes for the area.
The site lies between Dalton Road to the north, Rectory Drive to the east, and Down Meadow and Smarts Road to the south. The bowling greens were last used in 2020 and the rugby club vacated the site in 2017 when it moved to Nicholas Chamberlaine School.
As well as transforming a derelict site and creating new, much-needed affordable housing for the area, Vistry is investing heavily in the local community with a commitment to provide in excess of £2.5 million for local services, including £1.25 million for floodlights and a new clubhouse for Bedworth Rugby Club at Nicholas Chamberlaine School, over £500,000 for leisure and parks, around £350,000 for education, over £100,000 for healthcare, and over £185,000 for transport.
The site is well connected to a good range of local facilities and services and has good public transport links. Bedworth Railway Station is approximately 1.2 miles from the site and provides services on the Coventry to Nuneaton line. There are 31 primary schools and six secondary schools rated Good or above by Ofsted within a three-mile radius. Exhall Junior School and Goodyers End Primary can be reached on foot within approximately 10 minutes. Further amenities are available in nearby Coventry, which was the 2021 City of Culture.
Phil McHugh, managing director for Vistry North West Midlands, said: “It was an honour to welcome our partners from Midland Heart and NBBC to the former Bedworth Rugby Club site to celebrate the start of work on the development. Helping communities thrive is a key part of our ethos, and we’re delighted to start to unlock this disused site, and build new, high-quality, affordable homes for local people.”
Joe Reeves, executive director of Finance & Growth at Midland Heart, said: “Providing quality, affordable homes for local people is the primary focus of our organisation. We’re delighted that Jane and our partners could join us to celebrate the start of works on the site and hear our plans for its development.
“Housing associations like us play a key role in developing our communities, and we’re thrilled to be working with Phil and the team at Vistry to breathe new life into this area and deliver 122 much-needed, affordable homes.”
Jane Grant, assistant director – Strategic Housing at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, added: “We are looking forward to the delivery of much-needed affordable homes, homes that will be available for local people in housing need. NBBC greatly appreciates its partnerships with developers and housing associations who are committed to developing in our borough, supporting our affordable housing ambitions.”