Photos show progress of Top Wighay development where hundreds of homes will be built
Construction & Build
Former farmland near Hucknall will eventually host 805 new homes and a primary school.
Progress is being made on the construction of a new building which will eventually form part of wider plans for a new Nottinghamshire village. Former farmland at Top Wighay, off the A611 near Linby and Hucknall, will eventually house 805 homes, a primary school and skills centre.
In the more immediate future, visible progress is now being made on the construction of a new headquarters for Nottinghamshire County Council. The Conservative-led authority is moving out of its historic County Hall home in West Bridgford, given that it reportedly costs £1.7 million a year to operate and maintain it.
The cost of essential maintenance over the next 12 years is predicted to be more than £30 million, whilst an additional £28 million would also be needed to bring County Hall up to "modern environmental standards." The new headquarters, set to be named Oak House, is due to be finished in early 2025 and new pictures show that the frame of the building is now taking shape.
Construction work started earlier this year, with Morgan Sindall Construction delivering the project based on designs by the Arc Partnership. As well as housing the council itself, Oak House will also be home to key services for vulnerable children and adults and a customer service centre.
Nottinghamshire County Council first revealed last year that it intended to leave its historic County Hall headquarters in West Bridgford - having occupied it since 1946. An online survey has just closed in terms of what should happen next at County Hall, with the county council having approached developers about its future.
Opposition councillors have previously raised concerns about the cost of the new £18.3 million office building and the impact on staff, but Conservative leader Ben Bradley says staying at County Hall would be more expensive and that just "tens" of staff will be affected by the move. The building of Oak House is part of broader plans by the county council to reduce its office buildings from 17 to nine.
Top Wighay could be extended further north in the future, increasing the number of homes beyond 1,400. This was revealed in the draft Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan, which sets out housing development sites across Broxtowe, Gedling, Nottingham and Rushcliffe between now and 2038.
Blog written by Oliver Pridmore at Nottingham Post