“I am absolutely thrilled with my new home.”

This year we were once again recognised by Inside Housing as one of the top 50 ‘biggest builders’ of affordable and social homes.

Between 01 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, we delivered 510 homes and one of the schemes which helped us achieve this result this was our Canalside Close development, located in Blakenall Heath in Walsall.

The housing scheme is comprised of one and two bed apartments alongside houses with two and three bedrooms totalling 33 new and fully affordable homes. The apartments are all contained within one building known as Waterside House.

Zara Randall, one of our customers who moved into her new home on Canalside Close earlier this year, said: “I am absolutely thrilled with my new home at Canalside Close. I have barely had to put the heating on since I moved in as it is so well insulated. I am living close by to family and friends which is making a really positive impact on my life.”

All the new homes at Canalside Close were built using the low carbon LoCaL Homes Eco-200 off-site closed timber panel system, which also holds the NHBC accepts buildmark warranty. The panel system not only supports contractors to deliver high quality homes, it also helps reduce construction times on site and achieves savings overall in terms of carbon release.

The external wall panels were finished using LoCaL Homes’ brick slip system which comes in a variety of colours and were applied and pointed in their Walsall-based factory during the manufacturing process further improving the quality of the development.

Mike Doolan, Sales and Partnership Manager at LoCaL Homes said: “We are delighted that GSA customers like Zara have settled into their new homes on Canalside Close.

“Those now living at Canalside Close will benefit from reduced fuel bills thanks to a fabric first design approach and thermal efficient materials used in construction.”

Our new homes at Canalside Close are conveniently located as part of a developing residential area and are within approximately three minutes’ walk of bus stops and 12 minutes’ away from local shops by foot. As the name suggests the development is built on disused industrial land close to the Wyrley and Essington canal.

Another contented customer at Canalside Close is Sophie Green who moved into the development in Spring. Sophie said: “It is amazing to know that I’m the first person to live here and it’s great to have the towpath so nearby which is perfect for a stroll.”

Customers living on Canalside Close have an allocated parking space, access to cycle storage and are within easy reach of several local schools, including Rivers and Goldsmith Primary Academies, a nursery and playing fields.