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Hayfield Homes submits plans for £35m GDV sustainable scheme in Gloucestershire

Hayfield Homes has submitted a reserved matters planning application to Tewkesbury Borough Council for a £35m GDV sustainable residential scheme in Gotherington, Gloucestershire.

The proposed scheme will sit on a 6.27 ha site, which was acquired from L&Q Estates.

Once approved and completed, the fossil fuel-free development will provide 50 two-, three- and five-bedroom homes and bungalows, 20 of which will be designated for affordable housing.

All dwellings will feature solar PV panels, air source heat pumps, energy-efficient underfloor heating, increased insulation, water efficiency measures and an electric vehicle charging point — in line with Hayfield’s zero-carbon-ready design principles.

In addition to this, the scheme will also include a multi-use games area, a children’s play area and a multi-purpose community area suitable for village events.

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Andy Morris, managing director at Hayfield, said: “Our vision for this scheme has been to demonstrate how impressive a sustainable development can look and the positive impact it can achieve for local communities.

“That’s why in designing this scheme, not only have we harmonised our signature house designs to keep the village’s existing architecture, but to also introduce sustainable measures that will enable future residents to significantly lower their carbon footprint and household energy usage.”

Richard Edwards, group land and planning director at L&Q Estates, stated that the eco-friendly development would provide much-needed family homes in the area.

“We believe this development will add to the bio-diversity of the area and the public open spaces will prove beneficial to villagers.”

By ANDREEA DULGHERU

Source: Development Finance Today

cheshire garden village
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Plans for 1,500-home Cheshire garden approved

Plans to deliver ‘The Garden Village at Handforth’ have moved a step closer.

The Garden Village at Handforth will create a bespoke new village that will include 1,500 new high-quality design homes and extensive ‘green infrastructure’ – more than 40 per cent of the site will be open space, public amenity space or protected habitat for both residents and the wider public to enjoy.

It will also include a new school, up to 30 acres of employment land creating local jobs, a village centre with shops, restaurants, a hotel, and a village pub, new footpaths and cycleways, up to 175 housing units for older people who need care, and a children’s nursery.

At a meeting of Cheshire East Council’s strategic planning board, committee members resolved to be minded to approve a hybrid planning application for the scheme, subject to conditions and legal agreements.

Councillor Nick Mannion, chair of Cheshire East Council’s economy and growth committee, said: “This development has all the ingredients to create a truly wonderful new Cheshire village for the benefit of those living in, working in, and visiting the Garden Village for generations to come.

“Today’s decision by members of the strategic planning board is a fantastic step forward for this development and officers can continue to progress and deliver an exemplar scheme.

“The Garden Village will not only provide a range of new homes, but will encourage healthier and more active lifestyles, and support biodiversity – delivering a net gain through planned on and off-site measures.”

The development is one of 14 Government designated Garden Villages through Homes England’s locally-led Garden Village Programme, which gives the scheme national recognition.

The council is the lead developer and owns around 70 per cent of the land allocated for the garden village, while the remaining 30 per cent is owned by third parties.

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The site – allocated as a strategic development site in the council’s adopted Local Plan Strategy – is around 300 acres and is east of the A34, south of the A555 and will be accessed via the A34 bypass.

At the heart of the village will be an ‘all-through school’, providing both primary and secondary education, with a community hall and sports pitches located alongside it.

Of the 1,500 new homes, 30 per cent will be affordable, 5 per cent will be self-build and there will also be starter homes for young people, family homes, and accommodation for older people. This mix will help to meet local housing needs.

Employment space such as studios and offices will be available, as well as shared workspace facilities, and the village will have electric vehicle charging points and its own heat network, using sustainable energy.

There will be new wildflower grassland and playing fields, arts and heritage trails, community orchards and allotments, new trees and hedges, and new habitats which will be created by incorporating green roofs and green walls as a way of greening the village centre, residential and employment areas.

All existing ponds will be retained and improved, while new ponds will be created that will be specifically designed and maintained to maximise their biodiversity value.

Cllr Craig Browne, chair of Cheshire East Council’s highways and transport committee, said: “The Garden Village also supports the council’s long-term ambitions to increase active travel and will take the pressure off other towns and villages through investment in local infrastructure.

“As the lead developer, the council will provide the primary infrastructure to the site and the plans include making improvements to the A34, creating a new access road to the garden village, a park-and-ride facility near the train station, and new cycling and walking routes – including a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the A34.”

This new infrastructure will enable people to travel in a greener and more sustainable way and provide easy access to essential local retail, leisure, healthcare, education, and wider community facilities.

An application for a park and ride scheme at Handforth railway station was previously approved.

A separate application relating to Dairy House Farm, which forms part of the Garden Village site, was previously approved and grants listed building consent for essential stabilisation and repair works of the former farmhouse and outbuildings.

This will enable the restoration and conversion of the buildings, which are Grade II-listed.

Source: Built Environment Networking

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£3.6m funding deal enables housing scheme at former social club site

Specialist lender, Together, has agreed a £3.6m funding facility for a family-orientated homes development in South Yorkshire.

Housebuilder Walshaw Homes is constructing 22 homes on a plot of land on the site of a demolished social club in Main Street, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield.

The developer’s funding partner, Together, provided the finance package for the “Valley View” scheme of three and four-bedroom luxury homes. The homes are available for between £225,000 and £350,000.

Walshaw Homes managing director, Joel Richards, approached Together – which provides commercial and development finance and has a loan book of £4.8bn – after his firm acquired the site of the long since demolished Cherry Tree Social Club.

Becky Hall, head of origination at Together, said: “We agreed to provide the funding after seeing the potential of the location and having been really impressed with the vision of Walshaw Homes and its managing director, Joel Richards.

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“I already had a strong business relationship with the developer, having worked with them in the past, so it’s great to help Joel and the team realise their ambitions for this latest scheme as it begins to take shape – it will bring quality housing to meet the needs of Sheffield’s growing population.”

Planning permission for the housing scheme was granted in November last year, allowing construction to begin in June. It is expected to be completed by August 2023.

Richards said: “Construction is now well underway, with foundations in place for five of the plots, and there has been a huge amount of local interest.

“These new, modern two and three-storey homes will be ideal for couples and young families and are next door to local shops with other amenities such as the Crystal Peaks shopping centre and the Rother Valley Country Park just on the doorstep.

“It’s fantastic that Together has agreed to support us. It’s particularly beneficial to have a lender on board which really understands the needs of developers like us and is willing to help turn our exciting vision into a reality.”

By Miran Rahman

Source: The Business Desk

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140 more homes earmarked for Ledbury

More homes are being planned for a growing Herefordshire town.

Land to the west of the Hawk Rise development off Leadon Way, Ledbury, has been acquired by developers Vistry Group and is earmarked for 140 new houses.

The homes would be built under the Bovis Homes brand, which is part of the Vistry Group.

The 22-acre site already has outline planning permission for residential development and more detailed plans have been submitted to Herefordshire Council.

Developers say there will be a mix of properties on the site, with two, three, four and five-bedroom houses for private sale.

There will be 84 properties available for private sale in total, as well as 56 affordable homes available to local people through rent or shared ownership. The plan includes new public open space.

Supriya Ray, managing director of Vistry Group’s Cotswolds region, said: “This development will provide not only much-needed new housing to the area but will also create a vibrant new neighbourhood in the lovely market town of Ledbury.

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Bovis Homes development would include new public space
“As well as constructing 84 new properties for private sale, we will also be providing 56 affordable homes for local people which will allow them to stay in the area and remain close to family and friends.

“The selection of new homes at the site will appeal to a wide range of house-hunters including first-time buyers, growing families who need more space and people downsizing. It will be a sustainable development which is designed to blend in with and embrace its natural surroundings.”

Plans for the development’s public open space include a village green, children’s play areas and a picnic area, as well as meadowland and extended woodland.

Existing hedgerow and trees will be retained wherever possible on the site and complemented by new planting.

Mr Ray said: “We have liaised with Herefordshire Council on this project and hope to receive approval for our detailed plans in September, which would enable us to forge ahead with the construction programme.

“If all goes well, we would hope to start constructing the first homes in April 2023 and to have the first residents move in before the end of that year.”

By Phil Wilkinson-Jones

Source: Hereford Times

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Plans to build 750 homes on Carlisle greenfield site

Up to 750 new homes could be build on greenfield land near Carlisle.

Chorley-based property company, Northern Trust, agreed a planning promotion deal with the private landowner on land at St Cuthbert’s Garden Village, in Carleton, Carlisle.

The land, which extends to 176 acres, is currently a green field site in agricultural use.

The plans for the site will be promoted in two separate phases.

David Jones, senior land manager at Northern Trust, said: “We are actively looking for further residential and commercial land opportunities to purchase or promote throughout the UK, so we are pleased to be working with this private landowner on facilitating the plans for development of this strategic site to provide much needed new homes for the area and continue the investment for the benefit of the local community.”

Northern Trust and the landowner are working alongside Savills’ planning and development teams in the North West to secure the planning and to agree a land deal, respectively.

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Ed Rooney, Savills’ North West development director, said: “The Carlisle housing market is a huge opportunity for North West house builders with the shortage of land elsewhere in the region.

“Carlisle is set for significant economic growth aided by the high quality housing and environment provided by the Garden Village and our client’s land at Carleton is a key part of the overall housing masterplan to the south of the city.”

Jonathan Ainley, associate director in the planning team at Savills in the North West, said: “We have worked on behalf of the landowner over the last five years to promote this site and now look forward to the next phase, working with Northern Trust to progress a Garden Village at Carleton in the short term.

“It forms part of the largest Garden Village in the country and we are confident it can deliver high quality new homes, with excellent public spaces and connectivity, whilst also supporting Carlisle City Council in its ambition to achieve economic growth.”

Northern Trust has a land bank of more than 5,000 acres.

By Neil Hodgson

Source: The Business Desk

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New builds to launch in High Wycombe

Developer Inland Homes is launching the next phase of homes at High Wycombe development Centre Square across the weekend of 26/27th September.

The Pavilion Apartments and Alexandra House are due to launch in September, with final completions in March 2021.

They are eligible for Help to Buy.

Vicki Noon, sales and marketing director at Inland Homes, said: “We are thrilled to be launching the next phase of homes at Centre Square next month.

“These apartments make perfect homes for a range of buyers, especially those looking for their first home, with properties situated at the centre of everything the town has to offer.

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“Being just across the road from the Eden Centre and with fantastic transport links within walking distance, the properties are in a prime location to thoroughly enjoy the lifestyle that town centre living brings.

“And, with all apartments available on the Help to Buy scheme with just a 5% deposit needed to secure a home, buying a property is made even more affordable for those looking to buy new in High Wycombe.”

The Pavillion Apartments have seven apartments, comprised of one and two bedroom properties.

Alexandra House will offer a contemporary selection of 36 one and two bedroom apartments, each with an underground parking space and access to a private communal courtyard garden.

BY RYAN BEMBRIDGE

Source: Property Wire

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Housing minister calls for VAT reduction to support construction recovery

Housing minister Kevin Stewart is calling for the UK Government to reduce VAT charged on construction works to existing buildings to 5% to support the sector’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter to chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak, Mr Stewart said that while successive Scottish ministers have made such requests at various points in recent years, the “exceptional circumstances” faced by the construction industry as a result of the pandemic has brought this issue to the fore once again.

Setting out the benefits the reduction would bring, Mr Stewart added:

  1. A reduction in the cost of such work would undoubtedly encourage and enable domestic investment (which can be undertaken safely under well-developed safe operating practices which have been developed and adopted by industry) at a time when many households are reluctant to invest due to financial uncertainty.
  2. The pandemic is clearly bringing major changes in our working and home lives and existing buildings need to be adapted in order to support these new patterns of behaviour. Without this we risk losing buildings that could have been re-purposed and may well force people to work in unsatisfactory conditions at home. A reduction in VAT would significantly increase building flexibility and also send a clear signal that government is actively responding to these changing patterns.
  3. In responding to the climate crisis it is essential that we make best use of existing buildings and the current favourable VAT treatment for new buildings is a perverse incentive in this respect. Making our existing buildings as heat and energy efficient as possible will be critical to meeting our net zero carbon emissions in the future and a reduction in VAT would undoubtedly incentivise such investment.

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The minister said: “It is at the request of industry that I write to urge you to reconsider this vitally important matter with a view to delivering the stimulus that this VAT reduction would provide.

“Many industry partners have commented that this is probably the single most significant change that could support recovery in the domestic construction sector.

“Successive Scottish ministers have made such requests at various points in recent years but the exceptional circumstances faced by the construction industry as a result of the pandemic has brought this issue to the fore once again.”

Hew Edgar, head of UK government relations and city strategy at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), said: “RICS fully endorses this call from the Scottish Government and have long been advocating for a change to the VAT regime to stimulate the repair, maintenance and enhancement of existing property as part of a build back greener approach to construction.”

Source: Scottish Construction Now

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Plans for 90 new homes in Mold formally submitted

Plans to build 90 new homes in Mold have formally been submitted to Flintshire Council.

Gower Homes originally set out its intention to redevelop land off Ruthin Road on the outskirts of the town last August by holding a public consultation.

According to documents put forward to the local authority, the scheme would be delivered in partnership with Clwyd Alyn Housing Association and Cornerstone Flintshire.

It would consist of 40 per cent affordable housing, as well as public open space, landscaping and road improvements.

However, opposition was voiced by members of a local campaign group as the site at Plas Aney is currently allocated as green barrier land.

In a statement previously posted on the Protection of Green Barriers Action Group website, representatives said: “Letters have been delivered to a number of residents adjacent to the proposed development.

“This means that we must now act and co-ordinate our responses via the action committee so as to gain the greatest effect and ensure this development does not go ahead.

“The field is part of the Mold Town Council Future Plan and has been identified as green barrier.

“The council has gone to great expense to get expert advice from consultants, and there is the possibility of someone just riding roughshod over the top and ignoring the advice and wishes of the council and the residents.”

The number of houses outlined in the formal proposals is three more than originally set out by the Wrexham-based housing company.

The firm has acknowledged that the site is on green barrier land, but said the lack of available housing sites elsewhere in Flintshire meant the development could be justified.

They added that it would provide social and economic benefits for the area.

Comments are currently being invited on the application via the Flintshire Council website.

The authority is aiming to make a decision by mid-May, although timescales are currently impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

By Liam Randall

Source: Deeside

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The 21,000 homes set to completely transform Essex – here’s exactly where they will be built over the next 18 years

A major policy document formalising where more than 21,000 homes should be built in the next 18 years has been given the green light.

The final Inspector’s Report on the examination of the Chelmsford Local Plan received by Chelmsford City Council on Tuesday, 25 February, concludes that the plan is legally compliant and sound, subject to a number of changes which were the subject of public consultation last autumn.

This means the city council can now formally adopt the plan.

The local plan provides a long-term strategy that will ensure local needs for new homes, employment, shops, open space and supporting infrastructure, are met in a sustainable and appropriate manner. It has also been drawn up following significant consultation with local communities and other stakeholders.

The council has planned for a total of 21,893 new homes to be built between 2013 to 2036, in order to meet its housing commitments.

Housing completions between 2013 and 2017 have totalled 3,090, around 8,100 homes have been given planning permission and are set to be built and another 220 commitments are set to be given planning permission.

The majority of the remainder of the 10,400 homes have been allocated to three major growth areas.

The “Chelmsford urban area” has been earmarked for 3,400 new homes.

Development north of Chelmsford will be centred most notably in north east Chelmsford and Great Leighs as new garden communities comprising of 4,500 homes.

The council says that development here will help to bring forward the Chelmsford North-East Bypass and provide a secondary access into Broomfield Hospital.

This growth area around South Woodham Ferrers will accommodate around 1,130 homes.

Leader of Chelmsford City Council, Councillor Stephen Robinson, said: “We are delighted to receive the Inspector’s Report which concludes that the Local Plan will provide an appropriate basis for the planning of the council’s area.

“It now allows us to make arrangements to formally adopt the plan as council policy. We will use this plan to deliver more infrastructure to go with development, genuinely affordable housing and to ensure that it is really sustainable.”

By Piers Meyler

Source: Essex Live

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Plans submitted to build 148 new homes on outskirts of Gloucestershire town

Details of the next stage of the huge housing estate that is being built on the outskirts of Lydney were revealed by developers just ahead of the Festive break.

Crest Nicholson lodged a reserved matters planning application for 148 new homes to be built on ‘parcel four’ of the land between Highgrove Way and the A48 Lydney bypass.

The development has already been given outline planning permission, with the latest application seeking to put down definitive layouts and designs for the new homes.

The initial outline plans for 750 new homes on the site were eventually approved after a long battle with Forest of Dean District Council planners in 2015.

According to documents filed just before Christmas, it will be the third phase of the building scheme on the new estate.

The next tranche of houses will be built to the south east of phases one and two with the eastern boundary of the new builds to be the A48 itself.

According to the application, “parcel 4 includes residential development which has been informed by the physical constraint of the land…

It adds that it would see “… infrastructure including the road to be delivered to finish the main spine road and the need to deliver quality residential development of high density to meet the current market.”

Of the 148 new homes, 44 have been set aside as affordable homes, of which 29 would be designated for social housing.

Areas of public open space is also included within the plans as are a number of proposed drainage ponds.

A noise bund and newly-planted trees would shelter the site from noise of passing vehicles on the A48.

In total there would be 12 one bed dwellings, 27 two beds, 64 three beds and 33 four beds, all of which would be two storeys in height.

In total it would lead to more than 139,000 square feet of housing being built.

The consultation process on the latest plans began on Christmas Eve, December 24, and runs until Tuesday, January 14.

By James Young

Source: Punchline Gloucester