Work is under way on a development of 93 new homes in Exeter. The £30m Willow Grange scheme is a joint venture between Edenstone Group and housing association LiveWest.
It will include 61 private sale properties and 32 affordable homes on a site off Spruce Close and Celia Crescent, Beacon Heath. The affordable homes will include apartments, semi-detached and terraced houses, nine of which will be available through shared ownership and 23 via social rent.
A £1.5m community investment fund has been established for the development and will be used to pay for healthcare, schools and youth facilities, and walking and cycling routes. The Exeter F1 service will also to be extended to run through the new neighbourhood.
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Secondary education will receive almost £310,000; around £230,000 will be used for walking and cycling routes, a bus service and travel planning; and more than £54,000 will be invested in a local GP surgery.
Edenstone Group operations director Chris Edge said: “There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes since we secured reserved matters approval to redevelop the site in early 2024. Working closely with LiveWest, we’re now creating an exciting and vibrant new community."
Along with new homes, more than 22 acres of greenfield land is being provided, which will be part of the New Valley Park.
Hedges on the boundaries of the site will be retained and a community orchard will be planted. There will also be a village green and children’s play area. There will be 20 bat boxes and 20 bird boxes across the new neighbourhood, and one in 10 parking spaces will have rapid EV charging points.
Debra Saunders, sales and marketing director for LiveWest, said: “With sustainability at the heart of our plans, we’re confident these homes will enhance the local environment and provide much-needed housing for a wide range of people.
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"The new homes will provide a fantastic opportunity for local people to access great properties, 32 of which will be affordable homes. LiveWest is dedicated to supporting communities and to do so we’re committed to providing around 5,000 affordable homes across the South West in the next five years.”
The first homes are expected to be ready to move into in the autumn, with the development set to be complete by summer 2027.
Edenstone sales director Richard Morris added: “Willow Grange will be a welcome addition to the Exeter housing market, offering a fantastic choice of new homes to cater for local need. We’ve been receiving enquiries from people keen to live here since our planning application was submitted."
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