A ribbon-cutting performed by housing minister Kit Malthouse marked the official opening of a new residential development in East Anton, Andover, from leading national housing provider, Stonewater.
With support from Homes England, Test Valley Borough Council and Rund Partnership, Stonewater’s new scheme comprises 44 much-needed affordable homes in the brand-new neighbourhood in the Test Valley district of Hampshire.
Developed by Taylor Wimpey as part of a larger development, which is bringing 145 properties to the new Augusta Park area, Stonewater has delivered a wide range of apartments and houses, varying from one to four-bedrooms, in a rural area with a significant housing shortage.
To live in Augusta Park, all new residents had to have a strong local connection. All of Stonewater’s properties have been let or sold but the development included 22 properties, which were available for below market rent, and a further 22 were built for shared ownership.
“Not everyone is able to purchase a brand-new home close to other relatives in a district like this,” said Jonathan Layzell, Executive Director of Development at Stonewater. “When planning to develop large residential areas like East Anton, more local councils should consider the need for affordable housing, especially as it can give some families the chance to relocate closer to one another.
“At Stonewater, we’re committed to building affordable homes across the country. East Anton is just one example of our mixed tenure schemes that give families a fairer chance of becoming a homeowner.”
In collaboration with the scheme’s partners, the development also features two new community centres and a sport pavilion. This is in addition to the community woodland – called Harmony Woods – that has been planted around the surrounding areas by local school children and the charity Andover Trees United.
To celebrate the creation of Harmony Woods, Stonewater and artist Joanna Dewfall worked together to create a mosaic mural capturing the local wildlife. The mural was designed as a result of workshops that were conducted at two local schools and with a local historian group.
“The development in Augusta Park is fantastic and I’m very grateful for the work Stonewater has done as part of it,” said Councillor Phil Bundy, housing and environmental health portfolio holder for Test Valley Borough Council. “Providing enough affordable housing in Test Valley is one of our key priorities and this development has been a very important step in achieving that goal.
“To see the community getting engaged with the process is equally as important and I’m also grateful for the contribution Stonewater has made to the building of other local amenities that can really shape this area of Andover moving forward.”
