Bargate Homes has started construction at its latest development; Norton Chase, located in the East Hampshire village of Lovedean. The 2.61 Ha (6.45-acre) site straddles the boundary of East Hampshire and Havant, and will provide 43 much-needed homes for the area.
Located off Lovedean Lane the scheme will provide a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments and houses, set amongst 0.81Ha of public open space. Bargate Homes has provisioned 40% of the housing on the development as affordable. The design of the spacious site is highly considerate of the local area and vernacular and includes a number of sustainable initiatives.
The £13m Norton Chase scheme is expected to take approximately 22 months to complete. 180 construction jobs will be created during the course of the project, providing a boost to the local economy. The new development is the sister project to Norton Heights, which Bargate Homes completed during 2018.
Situated close to Lovedean village centre, the new homes will be built to a high EPC – B rating and designed to include a number of sustainable features. Each house will have a mixed recycling point, with external and internal storage, and an improved air tightness specification to ensure the energy saving performance of the homes is above current Building Regulations. The first tranche of homes will be available for occupation before the end of 2023.
Mark White, Managing Director of Bargate Homes, said: “We are excited to start construction at Norton Chase and provide much-needed new homes for Lovedean and the wider East Hampshire area. We are a community-led housebuilder, and for all our developments we consider how our customers will live now and in the future. In addition to the sustainability features, the 43 homes have been designed to be in keeping with the style of houses found locally – including beautiful flint detailing.”
“Situated close to South Downs National Park, Lovedean benefits from a thriving community, which is well connected and serviced by local shops and village amenities. With nearby train links to central London, as well as other commuter locations such as Guildford and Portsmouth, it is an extremely desirable location. We are looking forward to releasing the first tranche of homes for sale, as there is already a high level of early interest.”
New public open spaces will be created across the development, enhancing the character of the area, and delivering both recreational and ecological benefits. Green buffer zones will provide a valuable amenity function and retain and enhance local wildlife corridors. There will also be native tree and shrub planting to benefit local bird populations. A combination of both private and public open spaces will be created across the site, which will include a variety of enclosures to define the spaces.
The new development is only 1.4 miles away from the town of Horndean, which has a local primary school, an array of shops, restaurants, and supermarkets. Horndean is also home to the Hazelton Common Nature Reserve, which is popular with locals.
Rowlands Castle is the closest train station, which is two miles from the site, with trains running to London Waterloo in just under an hour and a half. The line also runs through Guildford as well as providing regular 21-minute services to Portsmouth & Southsea station. There is easy access to the A3 via the B1249, which leads onto the M25 and the wider motorway network.
The design for the range of dwellings is in keeping with the local topology of the area. The site will utilise a single facing brick, with an alternative brick to add contrast where the house designs have traditional detailing elements. Key and corner homes will benefit from flint elevations to add variety and legibility to the street scene. Roofs will be simple in form with extensive use of reduced eaves and dormers in the principal elevations. Gables will be used occasionally on the larger dwellings, providing contrast and interest to the street scene, which is in keeping with the predominant architectural style found on the highly regarded neighbouring Norton Heights development.
Established in 2006, Bargate Homes builds select developments in prime locations within Hampshire, Dorset, and West Sussex. The company is currently delivering 900 homes across six live developments and has a pipeline of future sites expected to deliver in excess of 2,500 new homes.
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