Wates Residential and Homes England’s ground-breaking project to build 200 homes for local people in Gosport has been given the go-ahead by borough council planning bosses
The project, which will help bring back life to the historic Daedalus site in Lee-on-the-Solent, received unanimous support from Gosport Borough Council’s Regulatory Board at a meeting on 30 May.
Wates Residential was selected by Homes England earlier this year to act as the trusted delivery partner for the project, which will dramatically increase the number of new homes available for local people.
The developer’s plans aim to nurture the development of a neighbourhood and community through the provision of a mix of housing, with 120 private homes and 80 affordable homes set to be built. The homes will be split equally across two development sites with construction expected to start in summer this year.
In recognition of the area’s unique roots, the approved proposals are designed to preserve the historic character of the area and the military buildings on site. Red brick bands and textured brick patterns will be used to complement the existing buildings.
Work on this project will also create training and employment opportunities for local people, with Wates Residential taking on 10 apprentices throughout the project and providing work experience placements for local students. The developer is also planning a two-week ‘Building Futures’ programme aimed at unemployed local adults to teach them about the construction industry and boost employment prospects.
The scheme will be built through Home England’s Direct Commissioning Initiative, which is designed to enable the Government to fast-track the building of homes on publicly owned land and diversify housing delivery.
Paul Nicholls, Managing Director of Wates Residential South, said: “The Daedalus housing project will provide much-needed homes for the local people of Gosport, which are designed entirely with them in mind. The council’s unanimous support for our vision for the area is recognition not only of the quality of the work Wates Residential delivers, but also our commitment to ensuring this project brings economic and social value to Gosport and the wider Lee-on-the-Solent area. We are hugely excited to begin breathing new life into this historically significant site.”
Stephen Kinsella, Strategic Director for Land at Homes England, said: “This exciting new development at Daedalus is an excellent example of both Homes England’s commitment to bringing public land back into use for new homes, and our work to diversify the housebuilding market to help increase the speed and scale of housing development.”
