Liverpool housebuilder Oriel holds groundbreaking ceremony for £4m development

Merseyside-based housebuilder Oriel held a groundbreaking ceremony this week at The Woodlands development in Halewood, Liverpool, in which key figures were given a first-hand look at the progress made since construction began in May.

The £4m development on Arncliffe Road represents a joint venture between Seddon Construction and Oriel, which is part of First Ark Group.

The ceremony, held on Monday (September 14), was attended by Knowsley mayor Edna Finneran and mayoress Michelle Finneran, as well as representatives of Oriel and Seddon. Following a ceremonial breaking of the ground, attendees were given a tour of the site and updated on the construction work.

Oriel director Stephen Heverin said: “Breaking ground at The Woodlands takes us one step closer to our ultimate goal; generating high quality homes that offer multiple home ownership options to meet people’s aspirations.”

The Woodlands development, due for completion in March 2016, comprises 22 three-bed and four two-bed semi-detached homes, along with three three-bed detached houses, all for sale, and 10 two and three-bed properties for rent.

Seddon’s regional housing director, Duncan Williams, said: “Today’s groundbreaking ceremony marks an important development for the area.

“The land has been disused for a number of years and will be completely transformed thanks to the construction of these new homes.”

He added: “We are excited to be working with Oriel on this development and look forward to bringing the site back to life.”

The Arncliffe Road site is part of Oriel’s first wave of housebuilding, which includes the construction of 251 homes in the Liverpool City Region between now and 2018.

Duncan continued: “The partnership continues our commitment to training and development with the five apprentices completing their training on phase two of the scheme.”

Work on The Woodlands’ second phase is due to begin in Summer 2016.