PLANS are being developed for 39 affordable homes on the site of a housing association’s office building – more than two years after permission was granted for 21 apartments.

Aster Group is progressing with plans to build on the site of Testway House, in Greenwich Way, Andover, which is no longer used by many of its staff due to flexible working.

The development would include 24 houses and 15 flats, with a mix of one to three-bedroom homes. In addition, 77 car parking spaces, an area of public open space and landscaping.

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Andover Advertiser: How the Testway House site could be laid outHow the Testway House site could be laid out (Image: Aster Group)Amanda Williams, chief investment officer at Aster, said: “Our new proposals show how we could make best use of an underutilised commercial space, by transforming it to provide much-needed new affordable housing for the area.

“Over 2,200 households were reported to be on the Test Valley housing waiting list (March 2022), which is 40 per cent higher than the average for all local authority districts in the south east. The site is well situated and within our operating heartland. It will help plug some of the affordable housing gap, providing local people long-term housing security.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to deliver all of the homes on an affordable basis, including shared ownership and affordable rent, with a mix of starter homes, townhouses and family homes.”

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Aster already has a change of use consent to convert the office building into 21 apartments. The new proposals, it says, would “provide a higher number of better quality, more sustainable and desirable homes in the long-term which will benefit more local people”.

The plans are now available to view and comment on, online at testwayhouseconsultation.co.uk.

Amanda added: “Community engagement is important to us. We’re inviting the local community to view our proposals ahead of the submission of a planning application and asking them to let us know their views. This will inform our proposals which we’ll submit at the end of the consultation period.”

Aster has said that it is likely to submit a planning application by the end of 2023, with building starting in 2024 subject to planning permission.