Wates Residential appointed to deliver 76 new homes for Winchester City Council

National contractor and developer, Wates Residential has been appointed by Winchester Council to deliver 76 high-quality new homes in Winnall, Winchester. This forms part of the city council’s plans to regenerate the area and build attractive new homes that reflect the local area and integrate with the surrounding landscape.

Wates Residential is due to start work on site in summer 2021, following the submission of a planning application later this year.

The new development will form an extension to the existing Winnall Flats site on the outskirts of the city. This currently houses four apartment blocks comprising 156 homes of which around 25 have been sold as leasehold and the remainder are council owned, rented at social rents. Wates Residential and the council plan to build a further 35 homes, designed for local people to purchase through shared ownership. A further 41 homes will be developed for sub-market or affordable rent.

Measures to minimise carbon emissions, promote renewable energy and manage water effectively will be integral parts of the scheme in order to align with Winchester City Council’s aim for the District to be carbon neutral by 2030.

The scheme will be built to AECB standards which means the homes will be designed to have such a low heating demand, that there is no conventional heating system required. Using the AECB methodology also means that there will be a 41% reduction of energy use and carbon emissions across the entire scheme.

The scheme has also been designed to offer enhancements to local green spaces. This will include the a new community park which will include seating, areas to socialise, a play area for younger children and a food growing beds.

Wates Residential and Winchester City Council have made a joint pledge to provide additional education, employment and training opportunities for local people as part of their investment in the local area. This will include providing a boost to the Winchester economy by employing local businesses and creating job opportunities for local people.

The partners have also committed to providing at least 10 work experience placements and five apprenticeship opportunities, in addition to working with local community groups and organising construction and employment skills courses to support long-term unemployed adults in learning the skills they need to get back to work.

Lee Bushell, Operations Director for Wates Residential, said: “We are proud to be partnering with Winchester City Council to deliver these much-needed new homes for local people. Investing in the regeneration of this site will not only ensure that we are building high quality, energy efficient new homes that are fit for future generations. It will also enable us to create a wider positive impact for the entire community through an investment of over £2m to improve the outside spaces that link the existing homes on the estate to the new development. We believe that everyone deserves a great place to live and we look forward to bringing this vision to life for the residents of Winnall.”

Cabinet Member for Housing and Asset Management, Cllr Kelsie Learney, said: “Working with Wates Residential is a great fit for the city council in helping us achieve our housing, environmental and employment goals. These 76 new homes in the Winchester district will help ensure more of our residents can afford to live in well-designed, energy efficient homes. We look forward to work starting in summer 2021.”