Engineering firm RWO has secured new work to support a North East regeneration project

Engineering firm RWO has secured new work to support a North East regeneration project that’s paving the way for dozens of much needed homes.

The undisclosed deal sees the firm deliver structural design services and expertise to Bellway, which is transforming the 13.7 ha site of the old Weardale Steelworks in Wolsingham into 120 new two, three, four and bedroomed homes.

Specifically, the challenging engineering work has involved RWO providing structural foundation designs to enable the redevelopment of the complex site.

The Weardale Steelworks, located in Wolsingham, County Durham (above), was a significant local industry for over 140 years, producing high-quality steel until its closure in 2008. The site is currently being transformed by Bellway into an energy-efficient housing estate, preserving some historic buildings for future use and bringing economic benefits to the Weardale area.

RWO executive director Sam Innes, said: “This has been a challenge from an engineering perspective, but our experience on similar projects and technical insight has helped pave the way for Bellway to progress their plans for this much needed new housing scheme in an important location.”

Will Chan, engineering manager at Bellway, said: “We have utilised RWO’s unparalleled engineering expertise on this project. They are an important partner, ensuring the engineering foundation work is correct from the start.”

The former Weardale Steelworks has been closed for more than 15 years but it was operational between 1864 and 2008 and during that time providing employment and the associated economic benefits to the local community.