Representatives from house-builder Vistry Group, Sovereign Network Group (SNG) and Swindon Borough Council gathered on Friday 23rd August to mark breaking ground at Lotmead.
The development, which is a joint venture between Vistry and SNG, has been planned to include 2,500 homes, a local centre, two primary schools, sports hub and green space on a 417-acre site to the east of Wanborough Road.
Lotmead forms part of the wider New Eastern Villages project, which is set to provide Swindon with an additional 8,000 new homes alongside a range of new employment, health, retail, education and leisure facilities.
Vistry Cotswolds will build 214 homes under its Bovis Homes brand in the first phase of Lotmead, known as King George Park, on a 39-acre parcel of land in the southwestern part of the wider site. This will include 153 properties for private sale through Vistry’s Bovis Homes brand and 61 affordable homes for low-cost rent or shared ownership through SNG.
Supriya Ray, regional managing director of Vistry Cotswolds, said: “The New Eastern Villages scheme is one of the most significant urban regeneration projects in the UK. This exciting development will not only help to address the country’s housing shortage but also assist Swindon Borough Council’s aspirations to kick start economic growth in the town and wider region.
“Lotmead is one of the first villages to be brought forward within the wider scheme, and will therefore have an integral role to play in the formation of this new community. We are proud to be working in partnership with SNG and the council to deliver the new homes and infrastructure which will create a thriving and sustainable neighbourhood where people will want to live.
“Our involvement in this massively important project reflects our partnerships-led approach and further underlines Vistry’s position as the UK’s leading provider of affordable mixed-tenure homes.”
Outline planning permission for the Lotmead scheme was granted in 2021 and detailed plans for the first phase of 214 homes were approved by Swindon Borough Council in June this year. Properties will include a mix of two, three, four and five-bedroom houses and eight one-bedroom apartments. The first homes are due to be completed by summer 2025.
As part of the planning agreement for the development, Vistry will paying the council £60m for local services and infrastructure. In addition to this, Vistry will be providing allotments, sports pitches, playgrounds, a new road, cycle links and a sports pavilion.
