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Work about to start on 460-home development
BUILDING work on a major new housing development which will see 460 homes built on farmland is set to get under way in August.
Developer Bryant Homes said it would start building the first 100 homes on Welbury and Woodholm Farms, north of Hempstead Lane, once it had rehoused wildlife found on the site. It hopes to complete the first set of homes by the end of the year.
Councillors broadly welcomed the news, saying it showed signs of the credit crunch easing and the increase in population would help revitalise the town centre.
The 74-acre development was given full planning permission last November. Of the 460 new homes, 138 will be designated for affordable housing and there will also be 6.4 acres of public open space and a community hall.
The developer will need to make contributions towards boosting the town's education and healthcare provision, library and bus services and improvements to local roads.
Bryant Homes said work would get underway as soon as great crested newts, slow-worms and grass snakes found at the site were rehomed behind special fencing, to ensure they can continue to enjoy the local marshland and grassland.
Surveys for other animals, such as badgers, bats and nesting birds, will continue while the homes are being built.
A spokesperson for the firm said, "We expect that the work will commence in August but this will only start once we are completely sure that we will not be affecting the wildlife currently on site.
"The first homes are due to be completed by the end of this year and these will be closely followed by a range of one and two-bedroom apartments, which will be ideal for first-time buyers looking to get a foothold on the property ladder in Hailsham."
Last year, it appeared the credit crunch had put paid to hopes of getting any new homes built in Hailsham and Hellingly in the near future.
The three firms planning large housing estates in the area – Persimmon, Redrow and Bryant Homes' parent company Taylor Wimpey – all announced massive job cuts, and were rumoured to have put work on major projects on hold.
Cllr John Puttick, chairman of Hailsham Town Council's planning committee, said the move to start building at Welbury and Woodholm Farms was a positive sign.
He said, "It shows that the credit crunch is easing, even if it's not finished.
"The problem is the infrastructure. You can't have more people in the town if you haven't got education or healthcare provision for them."
Hellingly district councillor David White added, "This development should bring with it a proportion of the much-needed affordable homes for rental by local families.
"The work will create local jobs and the new residents will bring additional economic activity to the town.
"My only concern is that 100 new homes by the end of the year could result in an additional 25 primary and 20 secondary school pupils when adequate provision has not been made for them."
Fox and Sons estate agents, in Vicarage Field, has already started handling sales enquiries for three and four-bedroom houses on the site.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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