Members of Dorset Council came to view the progress at one of the county’s largest new developments, Bincombe Park, where 500 new homes are being built in Weymouth.
Cllr Gill Taylor, Cabinet Member for Health and Housing, Andrew Billany, Corporate Director of Housing and local councillor Peter Dickenson visited the site, where residents have moved into the first affordable homes.
The development is a joint venture between Abri and Lovell, and when finished will include 175 affordable homes. Currently 112 affordable homes are under construction in the first two phases of development, phase one is expected to be completed by April 2025 and phase two by April 2026. By the end of 2024, 15 homes for affordable rent will be finished.
Cllr Gill Taylor, Cabinet Member for Health and Housing at Dorset Council said:
“It was great to see the progress made with this fantastic development that will offer families in Littlemoor and the wider area the chance to live in a mixture of shared ownership and rental flats and houses.
“I recognise the demand for all tenures of housing in the area, which must be affordable, reflecting resident’s circumstances. I also know that demand for houses far outstrips supply, so this development provides a real opportunity for our local residents.
“This development also includes open spaces for community use, a new school and employment opportunities going forward,” she added.
Helen Wilson, Helen Wilson, Regional Managing Director (South) at Abri, said:
“It was a pleasure meeting with members of Dorset Council and to show them the progress being made. Abri’s work to build good quality, affordable homes has never been more needed and this has been shown with the strong demand for these new homes. Working in partnership with Lovell and Dorset Council, in a short amount of time, we can now start to see the new community taking shape. We want to continue this collaborative approach as we work towards Abri’s wider commitment of building 10,000 homes by 2030.”
To help improve biodiversity across the site, approximately 19,000 trees are being planted and Abri and Lovell are also working with Weymouth College students to design and build a wildlife tower which will provide nesting and hibernation opportunities for a range of wildlife. To lower their carbon footprint the new homes will incorporate renewable energy features such as solar panels which will also help to reduce energy bills for residents.
Ross Field, Regional Managing Director at Lovell, said:
“The visit by the members of Dorset Council was a fantastic opportunity to share with them firsthand the great work being undertaken by our team in partnership with Abri. Together we are committed to delivering much needed, good quality affordable housing for the area, alongside homes for private sale.”