Site history

This town extension for Andover is well underway as part of Test Valley's commitment to providing 10,000 new homes by 2026.

East Anton Farm lies to the north east of the town centre in Alamein ward, and was granted planning consent in summer 2008. The masterplan includes 2500 homes, two new schools, a community centre, playing field, and two 'neighbourhood' centres of shops and offices, plus footpath and cycleway to the town centre.

Scheme history

Construction started on site in December 2008, which saw us working with Taylor Wimpey and Bellway Homes to deliver 229 affordable homes.

At £32m, Augusta Park is our biggest s106 development project to date, and is supported by £12.6m of subsidy from the Homes and Communities Agency. The keys were handed to the first new residents in summer 2009.

All our homes have a parking space or garage, or cycle storage for the apartments. Allocation of these homes is managed via the borough council's bidding club - Test Valley Homes.

Aside from us, Bellway and Taylor Wimpey, the MoD's housing arm - Annington Homes has bought 52 homes for military housing.

Features

All homes are built to Code for Sustainable Homes level 3, using a range of eco-technology including solar panels, mechanical ventilationheat recovery systems, and air source heat pumps. Two apartment blocks are fitted with photovoltaic panels which help to power the communal lighting and door entry systems. Sentinel is monitoring energy usage across a sample of homes to inform retrofit programmes to combat climate change.

Eleven of the homes have wheelchair access, and Test Valley Borough Council has found residents for these, enabling us to tailor the homes to individual needs during construction, supplemented by Disabled Facilities Grants.

One of the two new primary schools is under construction and will open in temporary buildings from September 2010, while a Community Officer has been appointed to help foster a sense of community. Our Neighbourhood Coordinator will also soon be based on site for three days a week.

Affordability

Homes range from one bedroom apartments to four bedroom houses. The average weekly rent for a two bedroom apartment is £93.15 with a £6 service charge and for a three bedroom house is £124.77.

Completion: Expected by December 2012

Local authority: Test Valley Borough Council

Developer: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd (Taylor Wimpey Southern Counties, Taylor Wimpey West London, and Bellway Homes

Cost: £32m (incl £12.6m from the HCA)

No homes: 303 affordable homes out of 2500 on site.