Work is set to start on building 25 affordable homes in the small Somerset village of Ashcott.
The largest housing association in the South West, LiveWest, has partnered with construction organisation EG Carter to meet local housing needs on the Charity Farm site on Middle Street.
Sedgemoor District Council approved the development which will see 20 homes built for affordable rent and five for shared ownership. The homes will range from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom homes and will cost almost £7m to develop.
The development, which is forecast to be completed in early 2025, benefits from grant funding from LiveWest’s Strategic Partnership with Homes England, the Government’s housing and regeneration agency.
With the ambition to reduce heat and energy bills, the homes will benefit from air source heat pumps which extract heat from the air to help heat the homes and will also be fitted with solar photovoltaic panels to generate their own electricity.
A play area is being provided, initially by LiveWest, to help bring the community together at this idyllic location. The play area will be transferred back to the Miles & Hurman Trust to fit out and maintain.
To reduce congestion and encourage more sustainable transport, residents of the new Charity Farm homes will be provided with bicycle spaces, with the new development also connecting to the existing public right of way.
Caroline Hughes, Assistant Director of New Business for LiveWest, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with EG Carter to build much-needed affordable homes in the beautiful village of Ashcott.
“We want to help Charity Farm to become a thriving, inclusive, sustainable place for people to live. The plans for a new play space are designed to bring the wider community together.
“The mix of homes, their size and style aim to provide a range of house types to create a mixed community and reflect local housing need.
“We want to create a development with its own sense of identity grouped around an open landscaped space at the centre of the site and to protect the amenity of adjacent homes at Glebeland Close by placing private garden areas adjacent to existing gardens on this side of the site.
“Our vision is to create homes and communities that people love to live in, and this is a great location which supports this.
“Our valued partner, Homes England, have provided grant funding for this development and we are extremely grateful for their support.”
Matthew Vye, Associate Director of EG Carter, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with LiveWest and starting the construction of 25 new homes at Charity Farm in Ashcott. This new development will create much-needed homes for the local area, and we are looking forward to seeing the positive impact they will have on the community.”
The Charity Farm site lies at the eastern edge of the village, south of the existing homes on Glebeland Close and north of a right of way leading towards Buscott and Shapwick.
John Kearney, Head of Provider Management for Homes England, said: “It’s fantastic to see a start on site for this affordable housing scheme in Ashcott.
“It’s a great example of how grant made available through Homes England’s Affordable Homes Programme can help strategic partners, such as LiveWest, unlock investment into new affordable housing supply in rural communities.”
