Vistry Group is preparing to release its first new properties for sale under its Bovis Homes brand at a housing location in Banbury, which will bring £5 million of investment in local infrastructure and facilities.
The housebuilder is building 319 new homes at Roman Fields, a 46-acre site at Drayton Lodge, off Warwick Road to the north-west of the town. At least 96 of the new homes will be provided as affordable housing, with six private build-to-rent homes delivered for people employed by schools in the district.
Alongside the new homes, the neighbourhood will include a community hall, retail space, an ecology area, four play areas, a pavilion and sports pitches, an orchard, and allotments. There will also be substantial financial contributions towards improvements to local schools and roads.
A public launch event will be held at the Wroxton House Hotel in Silver Street, Wroxton, on Thursday 29 February between 3pm and 7pm, when the first selection of homes – including three, four and five-bedroom houses – will be available to reserve.
Adrian Wood, regional sales and marketing director for Bovis Homes, said: “We have placed community at the heart of the design of our new Roman Fields development, with a raft of community facilities being delivered as an integral part to this new neighbourhood in Banbury.
“The development has also secured funding for improvements to local services and facilities. We will be contributing nearly £1.4 million to expand nursery and primary places at William Morris Primary School as well as £1.9 million towards secondary education and £96,000 towards special needs education in the town. There will also be £650,000 for public transport improvements, including bus services, and more than £35,000 for Thames Valley Police.
“Further benefits will include the creation of new jobs in sales and construction throughout the build life of the project, with a training and employment plan ensuring that opportunities for 12 apprenticeships will be provided.”
Adrian said: “We are building a variety of properties at Roman Fields to address the specific requirements of the local market, with a range of house sizes and later a selection of two-bedroom bungalows will be made available for sale in this sustainable new neighbourhood, which occupies a desirable location on the outskirts of Banbury.
“Nearly a third of the build will be affordable properties to allow local people who cannot afford to buy their own home the chance to secure a new place in the area.
“We’ve already seen a great deal of interest in the new homes here and look forward to meeting prospective purchasers at the launch event.”