Grainger wins Newlands consent

RNS Number : 3443D

Grainger PLC

21 March 2011

 



21 March 2011

GREEN LIGHT FOR NEWLANDS AS GRAINGER GETS CONSENT FOR MAJOR MIXED USED DEVELOPMENT

Planning permission has been granted today for Newlands, the 211 hectare mixed use development at Waterlooville in Hampshire, by a joint committee of Winchester City Council and Havant Borough Council. Grainger plc ("Grainger"/ the "Company"), the developer behind the plans has spent five years in extensive consultation with the local community to ensure this will be a place where people will want to live.

The consent allows for the building of 2,550 family homes, together with supporting social infrastructure, which includes a local community centre, land designated for healthcare and elderly care facilities, as well as two primary schools and a nursery. 

In a demonstration of Grainger's strong commitment to the environment, the Company is making land available for allotments together with an abundance of green space for recreation.  The river Wallington, which in recent years has deteriorated and been fed into a concrete channel, will be restored to its former glory and complement sustainable drainage systems that Grainger anticipates will be an environmental beacon for the new community.

The planning committee also granted detailed permission for the first phase of development, submitted alongside the outline application, which includes 194 new homes designed by local architect ADAM Architecture. This first phase is due to begin on site later this year, and the traditionally designed homes will be in keeping with the character of the local area. 

Initial infrastructure works are anticipated to begin in Autumn 2011 with serviced parcels of development land to be sold onto housebuilders soon thereafter.

John Beresford, Director of Development at Grainger, said:

"Naturally we are thrilled with the Councils' decision.  Throughout the process we have engaged with all local residents and interest groups and we feel this decision validates our commitment to the spirit of localism.   After many years in consultation, the benefits will now be seen in this new, vibrant community. Our approach to the design has a feeling of the English Garden Suburb Movement where community well-being is at the heart of our philosophy. The new village will provide a sports centre, playing fields, a new local pub, shops and schools. It will also create a new, diverse habitat for local wildlife by including features such as ponds and open spaces. We are very much looking forward to seeing the community come to life."

Nick Jopling, Executive Property Director at Grainger, said:

"This consent at Newlands adds to the momentum of Grainger's development agenda. In addition to thes 2550 homes for which we just received planning consent at Newlands, we have another 500 homes in the planning system. It is therefore particularly pleasing to get this consent following our recent appointment by the Ministry of Defence and Homes and Communities Agency as the preferred developer at Aldershot, just up the road."

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For further information:

Grainger plc	Financial Dynamics
Nick Jopling/Kurt Mueller	Stephanie Highett/Dido Laurimore/Will Henderson
Tel: [phone]	Tel: [phone]

NOTES TO EDITORS

·      Newlands Common is a residential-led mixed use development

·      Grainger plc has already obtained planning permission for 1,550 new homes within the Plant Farm Zone of Newlands

·      Winchester City Council and Havant Borough Council have since identified the need for an additional 1,000 new homes

·      The masterplan is now being updated to help deliver the additional homes and local facilities and to ensure that the important features of the site can be retained.

·      40% of the new homes will be affordable, in line with current government guidelines

·    Grainger plc is the UK's largest specialist residential property owner and manager traded on the London Stock Exchange. Grainger's business activities in the UK and Germany cover ownership, trading, fund management, property management and development of residential property. Grainger is the leading provider of home reversions, an equity release product, through Bridgewater Equity Release. Grainger has approximately £2.1 billion of wholly-owned property assets, £2.8 billion of assets under management and manages approximately 26,400 properties in the UK and Germany.

 

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