Work has started on a 120-home affordable homes development in Worcester for leading housing provider Stonewater, which is being built by Vistry Partnerships West Midlands.
Supported by Homes England funding, Stonewater is working with Worcester City Council to deliver the much-needed development off Bromyard Road. Each home will benefit from the installation of air source heat pumps, making the homes more cost-effective to run whilst also lowering carbon emissions.
High-quality site-based construction techniques will be used to improve efficiency during the building work, with Stonewater seeking to create local employment, training and supply chain opportunities.
The completed development will provide a mixture of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses to support local people struggling to rent or buy their own home. It will include 26 homes for affordable rent, 38 for social rent and 48 for shared ownership. Another eight will be available for Rent to Buy, aimed at easing the transition from renting to buying a home.
As the primary landowner, Stonewater will maintain and manage the surrounding public spaces — including protecting and enhancing the green spaces and biodiversity across the University Park area.
Each home will have its own garden and parking, with residents having access to communal outside space that will feature a fruit and vegetable garden and a play park. This is in addition to a ‘green corridor’ linking to nearby natural spaces and cycle paths.
There will also be a piece of public artwork created for the scheme, reflecting the local area and its history, as an eye-catching focal point for members of the new community.
Matt Crucefix, Director of Development (South and West) at Stonewater, said: “We’re excited to be working once again in Worcester, on what is our second site in the city with Northwick Farm due to complete over the next few months.
“Having worked closely with Vistry for a number of years, we are pleased to be working in partnership to deliver this thoughtfully designed, energy-efficient development that will alleviate local housing demand, whilst creating new employment opportunities for young people living in the town.”
Commenting on the new development, Darren Beale, Managing Director for Vistry Partnerships West Midlands stated: “We’re delighted to be working with Stonewater to deliver this significant mixed tenure development in Worcester. The range of dwellings and various tenures will offer the widest possible choice of affordable homes built to the highest standards.”
Councillor Owen Cleary, Vice Chair of Worcester City Council’s Communities Committee, said: “We are very pleased to see this development taking shape — it will provide 120 high-quality and affordable homes in Worcester. We know affordability is a real challenge for many people, whether they are privately renting or trying to buy a home, especially at the current time with the rising costs of energy and food.
“Stonewater is one of several registered providers of housing in Worcester and we are keen to continue working with them to seek further opportunities to increase the stock of affordable housing across the city.”
