Jack of all trades! Bowling club hosts open day for workers building neighbouring affordable estate
An open morning for workers building a new affordable housing estate was held at the bowling club next to the site.
GreenSquareAccord (GSA) colleagues working in the Development and Construction teams, were invited to Springvale Bowling Club, on Millfields Road, on Saturday.
GSA’s inhouse construction team is currently building 57 new and energy efficient social homes on land next to the Bowling Club.
The development, known as Springvale is in its second phase with the first section providing 24 homes, a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments, for affordable rent located on former office space.
David Norris Head of Construction at GSA said: “This second phase of our Springvale development is transforming the now demolished Springvale Sports and Social Club into much-needed social homes.
“We enjoy a strong working relationship with Springvale Bowling Club who have been accommodating while construction is underway. The open day was a chance for us to say thank you to club members, celebrate progress made on site so far and get to know each other a little better.”
During the open day, GSA colleagues were taught how to play bowls by club members followed by a buffet lunch and hot drinks.
Mark Bircumshaw, Chair of the Springvale Bowls Club, said: “We had a great bowls session with GSA and It was nice to meet those who braved the weather to take part. We have been working with staff on site since the building work commenced and have managed to keep our league fixtures running despite being located next to an active building site.
“We have been grateful for all the assistance from GSA, which has enabled us to start planning for the club’s future. We will be looking to run additional taster sessions for bowls over the coming months to help grow our membership.”
Ettingshall North Ward Councillors Jeszemma Howl, Zee Russell and Jennifer Cockayne and club members were given a guided tour of the second phase of the Springvale development.
Councillor Jeszemma Howl said: “We were all delighted to recently attend Springvale Bowling Club for a match between GreenSquareAccord and the members. Although rain stopped play, we had a great time meeting with the members of the club, who were generous with their time and expertise and helped us to see the benefits of the sport for everyone.
“This space is crucial to the wellbeing of our residents, and supporting this gem in our ward is so important. We were very interested to see the progress being made with the new apartments, just next door on the site of the old Steelworks. These one and two bed properties are built to the highest standard, using the latest technology and insulation, and will be a huge asset to the area.”
GSA’s new homes in Bilston will be constructed using sustainable timber frames manufactured and supplied by GSA’s LoCaL Homes facility in Walsall. A fabric first approach has been taken to the design of the apartments which will help customers save money on their heating bills. LoCaL Homes also helped deliver the first stage of the scheme.
Mike Doolan, Sales and Partnerships Manager at LoCal Homes said: “By constructing the homes using our timber frame panel system in a quality-controlled factory environment, the overall speed of construction will be accelerated, resulting in quicker handovers and earlier occupancy. As the home’s fabric is made from a sustainable material it will capture more carbon than traditional methods of construction and will be much more thermally efficient.
Construction on the second phase of the Springvale development will be completed in early 2025.
