£63 million boost to speed up construction of new homes in West Sussex
New family houses – including 30 percent affordable homes – will be built more rapidly at a key housing site thanks to additional funding being ploughed into the project.
- Homes England to invest additional £63 million for the Northern Arc at Burgess Hill.
- Countryside Properties UK will be the first developer building 460 Homes at the Freeks Farm area of the site – a mix of apartments and homes from one to four bedrooms.
Homes England, the Government’s housing accelerator, has today announced a further £63 million investment in the Northern Arc at Burgess Hill in West Sussex, where up 3,500 new homes will be constructed.
The funding injection, which comes from the Government’s Land Assembly Fund, will allow the construction of key infrastructure – including roads, a bridge, landscaping, drainage and utility works – to be accelerated at the eastern and western ends of the site, enabling 1,250 homes to be built. From 2023 the centre of the site will then be developed, providing 2,250 further homes.
The news comes as Homes England announces Countryside Properties as developer for the Freeks Farm area of the site. Countryside will start building the first phase of 460 homes in March 2020, on the east of the site. It is expected that these will be completed from December 2020, providing a mix of apartments and one to four bedroom houses. Their proposals prioritise design quality and use of Modern Methods of Construction.
Stephen Kinsella, Executive Director, Land at Homes England, said:
“As the Government’s housing accelerator we’re using our land, money, powers and influence to make homes happen in the places they are most needed.
“This funding boost, alongside the appointment of the first developer, represents further great progress for the Northern Arc. We can now make move quickly towards starting on site and constructing quality new homes and facilities for the local community.”
Minister of State for Housing, Kit Malthouse MP, said:
“Burgess Hill is a shining example of how our £1.3 billion Land Assembly Fund is rising to meet the challenge of delivering more, better, faster home construction – helping to deliver up to 3,500 extra homes for the people of Sussex.
“It’s all part of how this Government is supporting the delivery 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s, helping a new generation to realise the dream of home ownership.”
Phillip Lyons, Chief Executive, Housebuilding at Countryside Properties, said:
“Being able to influence the design and quality for this the first phase of the Northern Arc in Burgess Hill is very exciting. We at Countryside are incredibly proud to be a part of this fantastic project, working collaboratively with Homes England to create places people love.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
About Freeks Farm:
- The development received a resolution to grant outline planning permission in October 2018
- The development will be a mix of 1 to 4 bed homes with over half (250) being two bed
- 30% of the homes will be affordable - 20% social rent /and 10% intermediate rent
- In order to relieve traffic issues, Homes England is required to build a new road connecting Freeks Farm to Isaacs Lane before more than 130 of the homes are occupied.
About Homes England:
Homes England is the Government’s housing accelerator. We have the appetite, influence, expertise and resources to drive positive market change. By releasing more land to developers who want to make a difference, and investing in places of greatest need, to deliver new homes. Homes England welcomes partners who share their ambition to challenge the traditional norms and build better homes faster.
The funding for the land purchases at Burgess Hill was from the £1.3 billion Land Assembly Fund.
For more information about the Northern Arc, visit: https://burgesshill.net/housing/northern-arc.
About Countryside Properties:
Countryside is a leading UK developer specialising in building communities, not just houses.
With over 60 years’ experience, we continue to make a positive impact with regeneration schemes in London, the South East, the North of England and the Midlands, often partnering with local authorities and housing associations.
Our Millgate brand creates homes with exceptional standards of craftmanship around London and the South East.
In 2016, Countryside was listed on the London Stock Exchange and our robust balance sheet enables us to continue investing in our systems and people and to support our growth plans.
For the year ended 30 September 2018, we completed 4,295 homes with revenues of £1,229.5m. In April 2018 Countryside expanded its Midlands region with the acquisition of Westleigh Group Ltd, which delivered 1,159 homes of which 92% affordable for year ended 31st March 2018.
For more information see www.countrysideproperties.com or follow @CountrysideProp on Twitter.
The deal to assemble the land at the Northern Arc has been recognised for its significance by becoming a finalist in Property Week’s RESI awards 2019 in the deal of the year category. You can view the full shortlist on the Resi Awards website.