Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Homelessness at Dorset Council, Cllr Graham Carr-Jones and Andrew Billany, Director of Housing and Community Safety at Dorset Council, joined directors at Lovell and Abri to view the construction progress on a major £120m housing scheme in Weymouth.
Lovell’s joint venture with Abri, one of the south’s largest housing providers, will deliver 500 new homes at Bincombe Park, as part of an urban extension on the outskirts of the town.
The scheme, which is part of a larger site at Littlemoor, will also provide 175 affordable homes with 53 affordable homes being built in the first phase of development which is due for completion by spring 2024. The affordable homes will be available to buy through shared ownership, or to rent at affordable rates, defined as rent which is up to 80% of local market rent.
The 13-hectare development includes one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom homes and a selection of bungalows to provide for a range of housing needs.
The architects have taken a design led approach so that the layout of the new development has been carefully considered to provide a high-quality place to live, visit and relax close to open countryside. 15,000 trees are being planted across the site as well as low lying shrubs and grasslands to help encourage high levels of biodiversity.
The design has been developed to preserve and enhance the natural environment through the protection of existing trees, hedgerows and the creation of wildlife corridors and habitats.
Cllr Graham Carr-Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Homelessness at Dorset Council, commented: “A development of this size will make a significant difference to many people and responds to the increasing demand for good quality, sustainable housing. As a Council it’s vital that we provide the right houses in the right locations and in the last financial year we’ve built a record number of affordable homes for Dorset residents. It was good to see the progress being made on site and we look forward to seeing the first completed homes which will help more people into home ownership.”
Andrew Johnston, Regional Manager Director at Lovell, said: “We are now underway to build these much-needed new homes. This is another major housing scheme for the region which will now bring quality, energy efficient homes to the area whilst also driving job creation, apprenticeships, a new school and economic growth over the next ten years.”
Andrew added: “This is a dedicated program of investment, partnership working and housing delivery for the region. We look forward to working with Abri to build a flagship development.”
Sam Stone, Associate Director, Land and Planning at Abri, said: “We’re extremely proud of this partnership project with Lovell, to be providing 500 homes and making 175 of those affordable will make a significant difference to so many people. Affordability is such a key issue now with the increased cost of living. It’s essential we can help address the housing need and we’re doing this in a great location that will strengthen the community.”
Andrew Billany, Corporate Director of Housing and Community Safety at Dorset Council, said: “Many people are unable to find homes they can afford in the area as average house prices in Dorset have risen to over 13 times the average salary. It’s great to see the delivery of much-needed new housing, alongside wider community and infrastructure investment. Having a place to call home makes such a difference to people’s lives and seeing a site of this scale progressing is so rewarding knowing the long-term benefits it will bring.”
South coast architects Boyle+Summers led on the master planning of the development including place making and design of the houses. Richard Summers, director at Boyle+Summers, added: “This has been an exciting challenge for us as a team. The aim of the development is to create a high-quality place for people to live which is integrated into the surrounding landscape, and with the neighbouring community and becomes a positive addition to the local area.”
