Former Newark fire station on Boundary Road turned into new homes as part of Newark and Sherwood District Council project

A £1m project to transform a former Newark fire station into eight new homes has finished.

Eight properties have been created on Boundary Road in Newark — the site of a former fire station — as part of the district council's wider housing delivery programme to build up to 335 new homes over five years.

Work on the former fire station began in late April 2021 and more than £1m has been spent on turning the site into liveable properties.

Newark and Sherwood District Council worked in partnership with Edwinstowe-based construction company Robert Woodhead Ltd on the programme.

The site includes four houses and four flats and features additional parking spaces.

Despite contractors working under stringent covid-19 safety measures over the past two years, the council’s wider housing programme is currently in year four of the programme and is on track with its plans.

So far it has delivered 205 new homes, including a mixed range of houses, bungalows and apartments.

The local contractors are currently on site with 33 more homes and are a further 31 homes are currently in mobilisation and planning.

Tim Wendels, chairman of the district council’s homes and communities committee, said: “We’re pleased to see the completion of these brand new properties which are now warm new homes for local people.

“We’re progressing well with reaching our target to build 335 new homes in partnership with Woodhead and we look forward to many more homes being built over the next couple of years.”

Tom Woodhead, business services director at Robert Woodhead Ltd, said: “It’s great to continue our journey with Newark and Sherwood District Council and see another eight new homes created as part of our five-year partnership.

"In addition to the homes, the project has also given us the opportunity to support a number of community initiatives including work experience, work placements and supporting the local Fire Service by allowing them to use the site for training scenarios”.

Alongside the building of new homes other objectives have been delivered during the partnership between the district council and Robert Woodhead Ltd.

This includes providing work experience opportunities to young people interested in the construction sector, training and courses delivered to employees and 14 job opportunities being created.

Importantly for Newark, 91% of the spend through the partnership in 2021 has been within an average of 40 miles from the sites, creating and sustaining local jobs.