Long-awaited homes finally occupied after contractor change
The first residents have moved into Signaller’s Croft, the stalled housing scheme on the Basford East site near Crewe, more than a year after work resumed. The milestone comes after the original contractor entered administration and a new builder was appointed to finish the project.
Danielle, 35, and Anthony, 34, and their three children became the first family to take up residence in a four-bedroom home at the development. They secured the property through shared ownership, a route Onward Homes says has offered the family stability after years of insecure renting and two Section 21 evictions.
“It’s beautiful. It has felt like home since day one. Shared ownership has given us peace of mind and security, and we know [our home] can’t just be taken away.”
The scheme was originally started by Onward Homes in 2021 but construction stalled in 2023 when contractor Lane End entered administration. National housebuilder Lovell, part of the Morgan Sindall Group, took over delivery of the first phase in 2025 following a selection process run by Onward.
- Site: Signaller’s Croft, Basford East, near Crewe
- Started: 2021
- Stalled: 2023 (Lane End administration)
- Work resumed under Lovell: 2025
- Planned total homes: up to 449 mixed-tenure units
- Current phase: 139 affordable homes
What this means locally
Onward said the arrival of the first household is “really satisfying” and signals progress on a long-promised programme of affordable housing for the area. The housing association described Signaller’s Croft as its third project with Lovell and reiterated a commitment to deliver hundreds of homes that are “affordable to rent or buy and affordable to run in the long term.”
Stephen Heverin, interim executive director of growth at Onward, said the partnership with Lovell was helping the association “deliver on our promise to customers.” The first completions will be closely watched locally: residents who face high house prices in nearby towns such as Sandbach and Haslington told reporters the affordable routes on offer — particularly shared ownership — were the only realistic option for families needing larger homes.
Phasing and numbers
The development will be delivered over a number of years. Onward has set out plans to build up to 449 mixed-tenure homes across the whole site. The current phase, the one now delivering the initial completions, includes 139 affordable homes.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original groundworks | 2021 |
| Works stalled | 2023 (Lane End administration) |
| New contractor appointed | Lovell (2025) |
| Planned total homes | Up to 449 mixed-tenure homes |
| Affordable homes (current phase) | 139 |
Onward and Lovell said they expect the wider development to create a new community in the Basford East area. Tahreen Shad, regional partnerships director at Lovell, commented as part of the announcement, underlining the contractor’s role in delivery. Onward has previously worked with Lovell on two other affordable schemes in Merseyside.
For families like Danielle and Anthony, the new home represents more than bricks and mortar. The couple told Onward that being close to Sandbach and Haslington was important to them, but purchasing a four-bedroom house in those areas would have been unattainable — “you’re looking at half a million pounds,” they said.
Local councillors and residents will now be watching progress on the remaining phases. The success of Signaller’s Croft in delivering genuinely affordable and well-designed homes will be measured not only in completed units but in how many households like the first family can settle into long-term, secure housing without the threat of no-fault evictions that blighted their previous tenancies.
Onward said it looks forward to “creating a vibrant community over the coming years,” while stressing the homes are designed to be affordable to run as well as to buy or rent — an increasingly important selling point amid rising household energy and maintenance costs.
