UK-based real estate builders and construction company Esh Construction has received a £56m ($71.1m) affordable housing project at Grove Hill in Middlesbrough, England.

The contract is claimed to be the largest ever for the company.

This development will provide hundreds of new homes to the residents of Grove Hill. It is the third affordable housing initiative being developed by Esh in collaboration with UK-based landlord and housing developer Thirteen.

Grove Hill will be built by Esh in collaboration with IDPartnership Northern, 3E Consulting Engineers, Elliott Associates, and ONE Environments.

It will feature 296 houses and bungalows in two, three, and four-bedroom floor plans. The first units are expected in late 2025.

This initiative is partially funded by Thirteen’s strategic partnership with Homes England. A £2.8m grant from the government’s Brownfield Housing Fund will help also support the project.

The Tees Valley Combined Authority is in charge of approving funds from the Brownfield Housing Fund.

Esh launched two developments in Middlesbrough for Thirteen earlier this year, totalling £42m. The sites, named Kedward Avenue in Brambles Farm and Union Village in Gresham, will together deliver 250 new affordable rental homes.

The sites are part of Thirteen’s proposed £110m investment in Middlesbrough to build more than 540 affordable housing units in the area.

Esh CEO Andy Radcliffe said: “This scheme represents the largest affordable housing development that we have secured.

“Combining Grove Hill with developments at Kedward Avenue and Union Village, we are set to deliver more than 540 new affordable homes with Thirteen across Middlesbrough in the coming years.”