Developer Willmott Dixon vows to hire Peterborough workers to build 10-storey Northminster apartment block

Construction of a 10-storey block of apartments in Peterborough is expected to get under way soon creating jobs for city people.

Bosses of contractor Willmott Dixon have vowed to use local labour in the £70 million project to build the 315 apartments in Northminster.

The promise comes after the company was awarded the construction contract by social housing association, Cross Keys Homes (CKH), of Shrewsbury Avenue, Woodston, which has bought the development site.

Willmott Dixon was originally brought into the development team by Peterborough Investment Partnership (PIP) earlier this year before the site was sold to CKH, and has already carried out the demolition of the existing buildings and groundworks on the site.

Now, a main works development contract has just been signed between CKH and Willmott Dixon, which will lead on all aspects of the project.

Claire Higgins, chief executive of CKH, said: “We are delighted to have signed contracts with Willmott Dixon to deliver this flagship scheme for the city, which will provide 315 new affordable homes.

“Willmott Dixon’s purpose is to deliver brilliant buildings, transform lives, strengthen communities and enhance the environment, which goes hand-in-hand with our core objectives and makes them the ideal partner for this exciting development.”

David McCallion, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We’re pleased to have now signed contracts with Cross Keys Homes for this fantastic ten-storey flagship development.”

He said the company would prioritise the recruitment of local labour, provide training opportunities and invest in local businesses throughout the two years it will take to complete the building.

He added: “This is a hugely significant regeneration project, and we will be using innovative construction methods to build better, greener and smarter.

"Offsite elements will include a light gauge steel frame, brick slips and the use of bathroom pods, which will help to ensure quality, programme certainty and come with environmental benefits.”

Due to be finished in October 2024, the Northminster development, which is in part, being funded by a £12.5 million grant from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, will provide much needed high-quality affordable housing in the city centre.

CKH is being advised on this project by construction consultants AA Projects, and working alongside Willmott Dixon are a project team which consists of architects Corstorphine & Wright, planning consultants ELG, structural engineers SBK, and mechanical and electrical engineers Briggs & Forrester.