Vistry and Abri Partner to Deliver 314 Affordable Homes Across Three South West Developments
Vistry, one of the UK’s leading providers of mixed-tenure homes, has agreed three new partnership deals with housing provider Abri to deliver 314 affordable homes across three developments in the South West of England. The agreements will support the delivery of new housing in Bristol, Weston-super-Mare and Templecombe, helping address local demand for high-quality affordable homes across a range of tenures.
The three agreements cover 130 affordable homes at The Fosseway in Hengrove, south Bristol; 114 affordable homes at Locking Parklands, a major regeneration site on the edge of Weston-super-Mare being led by Homes England; and 70 affordable homes at Manor Farm in Templecombe, Somerset.
Together, the projects demonstrate the partners’ focus on using collaboration between housebuilders, housing providers, government agencies and the public sector to increase the supply of affordable housing. The homes will include social rent, shared ownership and other affordable tenures, providing different pathways to secure housing for individuals and families across the region.
Susan Scholfield, Regional Managing Director of Vistry Bristol, said the agreements represented another important stage in the company’s relationship with Abri and would help deliver much-needed homes across three strategically important South West locations.
“These agreements mark another important milestone in our partnership with Abri and will deliver 314 affordable homes across three key South West sites,” Scholfield said. She highlighted the regeneration of brownfield land in Bristol, the continued development of Locking Parklands and the creation of a new mixed-tenure community in Templecombe as examples of how partnership-led delivery can respond to housing needs.
Supporting Affordable Housing Delivery
Abri will develop 214 of the affordable homes at The Fosseway and Locking Parklands with support from grant funding provided by Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency. Abri will also contribute its own investment to help ensure the homes can be delivered at affordable prices.
The 70 affordable homes at Manor Farm will follow a different funding model. They will be delivered through a joint venture arrangement supported by partner investment rather than grant funding.
Sally Ingham, Director of Development at Abri, said the projects would provide meaningful benefits for communities across the South West by increasing access to affordable housing.
“These homes will make a real difference for people across the South West, providing more opportunities for individuals and families to access affordable housing in communities where they can thrive,” Ingham said.
She added that the partnership supports Abri’s wider ambition to deliver 20,000 homes by 2036, while creating communities designed around long-term wellbeing, opportunity and access to safe and secure housing.
The Fosseway Development in Bristol
At The Fosseway, Vistry has signed a further agreement with Abri covering 65 additional affordable homes. This brings the total number of affordable homes being delivered in partnership with Abri at the development to 130.
The 8.3-acre brownfield site on New Fosseway Road is being brought forward through a joint venture between Vistry and Goram Homes, the housing company owned by Bristol City Council. The wider development will also sit alongside a separate scheme of 70 affordable extra-care homes being delivered by Anchor.
Stephen Baker, Managing Director at Goram Homes, welcomed the agreement, saying it would ensure that all 130 homes in Phase One of The Fosseway are delivered as affordable housing.
The project forms part of a broader programme of developments being delivered by Goram Homes and Vistry across Bristol. Their partnership also includes One Lockleaze, The Brooklands and Phase One of the 1,435-home Hengrove Park masterplan.
Baker said the partnership model enables the organizations to bring forward high-quality mixed-tenure neighbourhoods, with around half of the homes expected to be affordable, while responding to Bristol’s urgent housing requirements.
Locking Parklands in Weston-super-Mare
At Locking Parklands, Abri will own and manage 114 affordable homes within Vistry’s 229-home development. The homes will be delivered alongside the first phase of a planned high street featuring 12 commercial spaces.
The scheme forms part of a wider masterplan for the former RAF Locking site, where around 2,000 homes are planned, subject to planning permission. The development is intended to create a new community combining housing, commercial activity and supporting infrastructure.
Abri’s involvement will ensure that a significant proportion of the homes delivered through the current phase are available as affordable housing, helping broaden housing options for residents in the Weston-super-Mare area.
Manor Farm in Templecombe
At Manor Farm in Templecombe, Abri will own and manage 70 affordable homes within a new 140-home mixed-tenure development.
The 26-acre scheme will provide a variety of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes, creating housing options for different household sizes and stages of life. The development will also include public open space, landscaping, biodiversity enhancements and associated infrastructure.
The combination of market and affordable housing is designed to create a balanced mixed-tenure community while integrating green spaces and environmental improvements into the wider development.
Across all three projects, the partnership between Vistry and Abri highlights the role that collaborative housing delivery can play in addressing regional housing pressures. By combining development expertise, investment, public-sector support and housing-provider resources, the organizations are working to deliver affordable homes alongside wider community infrastructure.
The 314 homes will contribute to the South West’s housing supply while supporting regeneration and new community development in Bristol, Weston-super-Mare and Templecombe. With Abri taking ownership and management of the affordable homes across the developments, the agreements are also intended to provide residents with long-term access to secure housing.
The projects reinforce both organizations’ commitment to expanding affordable housing provision and creating sustainable communities across the South West, while demonstrating how partnership-led development can unlock new opportunities on brownfield and regeneration sites.
Source Link:https://www.vistry.co.uk/
