Spades are in the ground on building more in-demand family homes in Cheltenham.
Work has started on the second and third phases of a development off Old Gloucester Road, on the west side of town, which will bring 171 new homes for sale, shared ownership and social rent to Cheltenham.
Housing association Bromford, part of Bromford Flagship LiveWest (BFL), is building the homes on two parcels of land: phase 2 on open land formerly owned by Gloucestershire County Council, and phase 3 on Cheltenham Borough Council's old Arle Nursery site.
Of the 171 homes, there will be 92 for social rent and 22 for shared ownership, with the other 57 for sale on the open market. The project has been part-funded by Homes England, the government's housing and regeneration agency.
Amanda Swann, new homes regional director at Bromford, said: "It takes a lot of people to pull something like this together. From both councils, who made the land available, to Homes England, to the many colleagues at Bromford who have been involved, I’d like to thank everybody who has helped us get to this point.
"Cheltenham's a great place to live and we want more people to be able to make their home here. Some will rent from us, some will buy a share and some will buy outright. But they'll all be part of this new neighbourhood, with the river, green spaces and play areas right on their doorstep. This will be the kind of place people want to settle in."
The new homes follow the first phase, now called Springbank View, which was finished in spring last year. All 85 homes there are affordable, 42 for social rent and 43 for shared ownership.
For many years the Arle Nursery was where the borough council grew the bedding plants for Cheltenham's parks, gardens and hanging baskets. It was decommissioned some years ago, and its old buildings have now been demolished to make way for the development.
The new homes will come with air source heat pumps and solar panels to help keep energy bills down. The scheme is also putting more than £2.2 million towards local schools, roads, bus services and new play areas, and 108 new trees will be planted.
The River Chelt runs along the northern edge of the site, and a stream separates Springbank View from where the new phase 2 homes will go. Bromford is building a bridge over it to join the two up, the first bridge it has ever built.
Wildlife is also being looked after. Bat boxes and a freestanding bat hotel are already up on site, and work near the river and stream is being carefully managed to protect migratory fish that swim up from the Severn estuary.
A valuable partnership
Councillor Rowena Hay, leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, said: "Cheltenham desperately needs more homes that people can afford to live in, which is why this is so important to us as a town.
“We are delighted to have worked with Gloucestershire County Council to make this site available for Bromford to deliver much-needed homes for local people. We want to provide future generations with opportunities to build their lives in Cheltenham.
"These days it's really hard to achieve anything without strong partnership working and that’s what makes this project so exciting.
“It’s wonderful to see this development, which has served the community for so many years is being given a new purpose, helping more people to put down roots in our town”.
The first homes are due to be finished in autumn 2027 and the whole development by winter 2029. Once it's complete, the wider neighbourhood will be home to more than 250 households.
Councillor Colin Hay, deputy leader of Gloucestershire County Council and cabinet member for finance, assets and transformation, said: "It is fantastic to see work getting under way on this exciting development, which will deliver much-needed homes for local people, including a significant number of affordable homes.
“By making County Council land available and working closely with Bromford and Cheltenham Borough Council, we are delighted to have played a key role in bringing this ambitious scheme forward. We cannot wait to see these new homes and vibrant neighbourhoods take shape over the coming years.
"As well as providing high-quality new homes, the development will unlock valuable investment in local infrastructure and services, helping to create a sustainable, welcoming and thriving neighbourhood that current and future residents will be proud to call home."