A leading housing provider and family-owned construction company marked the completion of its affordable development with Metro Mayor Andy Street.
Stonewater and the Deeley Group welcomed Andy Street to Tiverton Road, a development of 39-homes in Wyken. Built on the former Dartmouth School site, the development provides vital affordable rented and shared ownership housing in the form of two-, three-, and four-bed homes.
The Mayor of the West Midlands met with representatives from Stonewater and Midlands-based construction partner Deeley Group – a firm with a 70-year history of improving the Wyken community.
The occasion marked the mayor’s second visit to Tiverton Road, with him previously visiting the development during its construction in January 2021. At the time, he praised Stonewater and the Deeley Group for regenerating the former derelict site to create affordable housing – stating the project aligned with his brownfield first approach to providing housing across the region.
During his most recent visit, the mayor was also able to see the scheme’s public art installation, a wood carving in the shape of a book, which was produced by Midlands-based artist Graham Jones. The sculpture sits among mature trees and newly planted fruit trees and was inspired by the nearby St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, constructed by the Deeley Group in the 1950s.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “It’s fantastic to see the completion of these affordable homes. I congratulate Stonewater and the Deeley Group on breathing new life into this once derelict site at the same time as meeting the housing needs of the local community.
“By building on a former school site, all the partners involved here are helping to maintain our region’s strong commitment to brownfield-first development – protecting our precious greenbelt in the process.
“I look forward to this scheme changing lives for the better in the years ahead.”
Matt Crucefix, Director of Development (West and South) at Stonewater added: “Providing good quality, affordable housing schemes, such as Tiverton Road, is a vital strategy in reducing homelessness. This is particularly important in Coventry, which saw some of Warwickshire’s highest rates of families facing homelessness during the pandemic.
“Stonewater is not only committed to providing residents with a safe and secure place to live, but also instilling in them a sense of pride in their local community. That is why we introduce edible landscapes and install public art, such as Graham’s excellent Wyken-inspired sculpture, in each of our new build developments.”
The development is the fourth that Deeley Group has completed in the Wyken area of Coventry – having already built a school, church and church hall for the community.
Peter Deeley, Joint Managing Director of the Deeley Group said: “It is fantastic to see the development now completed and providing vital affordable housing to people in Wyken.
“The strength of the Deeley Group is that it can source development sites – particularly brownfield, where possible – and bring them back to use for the benefit of the communities we work within.
“The development has been delivered despite restrictions brought by the pandemic and that is testament to our strong working partnership with Stonewater.”
Image caption: Father Des Devenney, Martin Gallagher (Deeley), Matt Crucefix (Stonewater), Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, Eleanor Deeley (Deeley), Peter Deeley (Deeley)
