Building work underway on new affordable housing for Sussex village

Housing provider Stonewater is set to deliver affordable and energy efficient homes for the village of Loxwood, as work begins on a new £10.75m development.

The project, which is due to be completed by Spring 2022, will deliver 50 houses and flats at Pond Copse Lane, off Guildford Road.

It will consist of 30 homes for affordable rent, 13 for shared ownership and seven for ‘rent to buy’.

Director of development (South and West) at Stonewater, Matthew Crucefix, said: ‘We are delighted to be starting work on this development with Thakeham, to deliver desperately needed affordable homes for local people in the small rural village of Loxwood, whilst also giving an artist the chance to have their work installed at the scheme.

‘As well as creating beautiful places for people to live, whilst helping to meet local housing need, these homes showcase the kind of energy efficiency innovations we are introducing to help reduce the UK’s carbon footprint to net zero by 2050, while cutting our residents’ energy bills.’

The properties are set to include energy efficient heating systems, with flats fitted with infra-red heating and the houses using air source heat pumps, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 37%.

The development will also deliver a landscaped communal open space, a play area, public artwork, and wildlife-friendly features including bat boxes and swift nest cups.

Stonewater has partnered with developer Thakeham Homes to deliver the project, with specialist surveying and construction consultancy Rund Partnership advising on the scheme.

Simon Stewart, senior surveyor at Rund Partnership, said: ‘The land at Little Farm is a beautiful area for providing high-quality rural affordable housing. Our main focus will be ensuring the quality of the site continually exceeds standard requirements and we work to ensure the successful completion of the development.’

In related news, the number of affordable homes in Manchester is expected to exceed 7,500 by 2025, with nearly 4,000 affordable homes completed or in the pipeline in the North and East of the city since 2016.

Photo supplied by Stonewater