Shropshire housing firm SJ Roberts wins £12m contract to build 64 homes at former Ellesmere railway station
A Shropshire house-builder has been awarded a £12 million contract to build a new housing development on the site of a disused railway station in north Shropshire.
The Grade II listed former railway station building in Ellesmere has stood empty for over 50 years, having closed to passengers in 1965, but is now set to become part of a new development of over 60 homes.
South Shropshire firm SJ Roberts Construction say they expect to start work on site in September, after being appointed by Housing Plus Group to develop 64 homes on the site this month. The scheme is expected to be completed in 2027.
The development will be made up of a mix of one, two and three-bedroom homes with 7 of those constructed via the redevelopment of the former railway station, with the completed houses set to be made available for social rent, shared ownership and private rent.
Ellesmere's railway station opened in 1863 but fell victim to the infamous Beeching axe in 1965, closing completely by March of that year, having served the town for over a hundred years as part of the Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway line.
The station and former sidings was later used by dairy manufacturer Fullwood before it was sold off to Homes England, who successfully applied for permission to demolish much of the site in 2018.
An outline planning application brought forward by former owners Homes England for development of up to 65 dwellings was approved in September 2021, despite some opposition from residents and Ellesmere Town Council, who were chiefly concerns about access to the site via Brownlow Road.
"We’re really excited to be delivering these new homes in Ellesmere, helping to meet the need for high quality, affordable homes in the area," said Housing Plus Group's head of development, Sepp Sargeant.
"The mix of homes, from one-bedroom apartments to three-bedroom houses, will cater to a range of people and will bring disused, Grade-2 listed railway station buildings back to life after being abandoned for some years."
The detailed application for 57 new dwellings was given the thumbs up in July 2022, after listed building consent for seven new apartments set to be built in the Grade II listed old railway station building had been granted in September 2021.
The announcement is the latest in a long-standing relationship between SJ Roberts Construction and Housing Plus Group which has seen over 300 new homes built over the past 18 years.
“Delivering new affordable homes in communities, such as Ellesmere, where they’re most needed is always a responsibility that we take very seriously," said SJ Roberts Construction managing director Mike Sambrook.
"However, there’s something extra special about delivering them for a partner, like Housing Plus Group, with whom we’ve worked for such a significant amount of time.”
