COUNCIL

Children from Woolenwick Junior School in Stevenage with their creation and on site, learning all about the new housing development

Over 180 Stevenage school children, aged between 7 and 11 years old, took part in a school art project to help brighten up a housing development site hoarding in Scarborough Avenue, Stevenage.

Originally the children, from Woolenwick Junior School, were tasked with using their imagination to create drawings that celebrated active travel and play. The Housing Development team at Stevenage Borough Council worked hard to ensure all of the creations were included in the final masterpiece and on display for everyone to see.

After the hoarding was erected, the children were invited to go and take a look at their new design in full.

While they were there they experienced a morning on site, starting with a toolbox talk, ahead of a site tour, where the contractor, SJM, explained about staying safe on site, giving them a fantastic opportunity to discover more about working in the construction industry.

Lots of questions were asked as the children engaged in a thought-provoking session.

New housing

The development comprises 29 one, two and three-bedroom apartments and is due for completion in Spring 2023, when it will be let to council tenants. The new apartments feature state-of-the-art environmental enhancements, including being gas free, with triple glazing, enhanced insulation and waste water heat recovery.

With the build coming to an end,

the project has now reached a stage where the time has come to remove the brightly coloured hoarding and rather than going for recycling, it is being donated to Woolenwick Junior School so it can be repurposed within the vicinity so the artwork is there for future generations to see.

All the children put an immense amount of effort into their designs and had thought long and hard about what to include in their images.

SJM has installed the panels of artwork at the school free of charge to brighten up the area and the children will be able to see their designs for years to come.

Cllr Jeannette Thomas, Deputy Leader of Stevenage Borough Council and Executive Member for Housing and Development, said: “Overall, it’s been a really successful project and one that I hope the children will remember taking part in.

“It’s been great to be able to invite them onto the site so they can experience a little of what life is like in the construction industry, while taking a look at their creations.

“It’s brilliant that we are now in a position for the hoarding to be removed, which is a clear indication that these 29 homes will soon be handed over and let to new council tenants.

“I’m really pleased the school has gladly agreed to rehome the hoarding panels, they’ll look wonderful once installed and I’d like to thank SJM for their kind contribution in erecting the panels at the school for everyone to enjoy in years to come.”