Construction work to transform the site of the former Royal Mail depot in Chelmsford into a new housing development is under way.

Bellway Essex is building 203 apartments on the Victoria Road site, which has been derelict since the sorting office closed in 2014.

The building was demolished in 2015 and Bellway’s plans to rejuvenate the site were approved by Chelmsford City Council in February this year.

The scheme, which is called Novello, will include a range of one and two-bedroom apartments within blocks between three and five storeys high.

It will also feature a landscaped urban piazza and pocket park.

As well as providing much-needed new homes and open space, the blueprint will generate a host of other benefits.

They will include affordable housing for local people, public art, and financial contributions towards cycle parking, footway and cycleway improvements in Chelmsford.

Bellway Essex Head of Sales, Jenny Walker, said: “Our plans will transform this derelict piece of land into an attractive residential community and will help continue the regeneration of this part of Chelmsford.

“There is a growing demand for new apartments in the city, as we have seen at our Marconi Evolution site nearby, which has almost completely sold out.”

She added: “We are expecting the apartments at Novello to be similarly popular, given their great location right in the heart of Chelmsford and within easy reach of the railway station for services into Liverpool Street.

“Although we’re not planning on releasing the first plots until next year, I would advise anyone interested in these new homes to register their interest online now, so we can keep them up to date with further details as they become available.”

More information is available at www.bellway.co.uk