CONSTRUCTION work is set to start in Ludgershall this month on a £100-million housing scheme comprising of 412 homes.

Housing developer Lovell has been given the green light by Wiltshire Council to start construction on the former Defence Medical Equipment Depot, now known as Drummond Park.

The development will feature a collection of 309 two-, three- and four-bedroom open market homes, as well as 103 affordable homes – 40 per cent shared ownership and 60 per cent affordable rent – for housing provider Stonewater.

Contracts have now completed and construction work on the first homes is set to commence this month, with a scheduled completion date of early 2027. The first open-market homes will be available for sale in January 2022.

Cllr Christopher Williams, who represents Ludgershall North & Rural division in the Wiltshire Council, said he is very pleased that the developers are starting the construction.

“It’s been a long since the plans have gone in,” Cllr Williams told the Advertiser.

“The people of Ludgershall whom I have spoken to are looking forward to it and they welcome the development. As Ludgershall expands it brings more benefits to the residents.”

Lovell was appointed back in March 2020 by Homes England as their development partner to deliver 412 homes.

As part of the planning agreement for the new homes, Lovell is set to inject £4.3 million into local community services and facilities. Lovell said its investments will go towards the construction of a new primary school at Perham Down, the expansion of Wellington Academy, local bus services, highways, and recycling facilities. Lovell will also deliver a new roundabout on the A342, which will provide a new entrance to the site.

Together, Lovell and Stonewater are also exploring ways to recycle or reuse some of the waste from site during construction to create public art and communal benches for new and existing residents to enjoy.

Drummond Park follows Lovell’s recently completed homes for military personnel on the former Corunna Barracks site on Salisbury Plain in Ludgershall.

James Duffett, regional managing director at Lovell, said: “We are delighted to be working with Homes England and Stonewater to deliver this well-anticipated development, where we will be providing a variety of excellent quality new homes for house-hunters on all stages of the property ladder.

“As well as delivering significant investments to the local community, this scheme will allow us to create jobs and training opportunities and produce a place which people can feel proud to call their home.

“Following our recent success with transforming the former Corunna Barracks into a thriving new community for military personnel and their families, we are very much looking forward to delivering our carefully-planned and desirable new homes at Drummond Park.”

Lydia Meeson, Senior Planning and Enabling Manager at Homes England, said: “Homes England has been working for a number of years to support housing delivery on this brownfield site and we’re delighted that Lovell, as development partner, is now able to start building homes.

“As partners we’ve worked collaboratively to ensure that the investment into the site is translated into a deliverable commitment to high quality homes for a variety of people and I look forward to seeing the development fill with life in the years to come.”

Matt Crucefix, Director of Development (South and West) at Stonewater, said: “We’re pleased that Lovell shares our aspirations to provide homes that are comfortable, energy efficient and affordable for people to live in.

“Providing much-needed affordable homes is at the heart of everything we do, but a core focus for us is also ensuring that we create thriving communities for now and generations to come. To support our sustainability commitments, these homes will be built to meet future energy needs and will benefit from the installation of Air Source Heat Pumps.

“Drummond Park is our first development working in partnership with Lovell and we’re excited for work to get underway in the coming months.”

Alongside the new homes, Drummond Park will also feature community parkland to the north of the site, including a wildflower meadow, walkway and seating areas.