South Gloucestershire’s housing construction sector is performing well despite challenging economic conditions, new figures reveal.
Data published in South Gloucestershire Council’s annual Residential Land Survey show that between April 2011 and March 2012, 957 new homes were completed in the district, an increase of 195 (20 per cent) on the previous year.
Of these, 863 were new build dwellings with the remainder made up conversions of other buildings and temporary or mobile homes.
The majority of completions were on 18 large sites of ten or more homes, including Charlton Hayes and Wallscourt Farm in the north fringe of the district, Elswick Park in Yate and The Meads in Frampton Cotterell. Together, these sites saw almost 300 completions during the year.
South Gloucestershire Council’s planning team has introduced a number of initiatives to promote housing growth in the district in recent months, recognising the important role that housing construction has to play in boosting the local economy. Measures have included a wide-ranging review of unimplemented planning permissions which has helped ‘unlock’ stalled development sites such as Charlton Hayes and Hanham Hall.
Chair of the council’s Planning, Transport and Strategic Environment Committee Brian Allinson said:
“The council takes a positive approach to planning and development in South Gloucestershire and is committed to working with developers to promote growth, while also supporting the development of sustainable communities.”
“These figures show that this approach is generating positive result, with a 20 per cent increase in completions last year despite very challenging economic conditions.”
“The ongoing progress with the Core Strategy and facilitating planning applications through the council’s Major Sites and Development Management Team is very much at the heart of our approach, helping to support a balanced and successful housing market and construction sector in South Gloucestershire.”
Gross housing completions during the year also included a total of 269 affordable homes, of which 145 were for social rent, 40 for affordable rent and 84 for ‘intermediate’ affordable housing.
More info: South Gloucestershire Residential Land Survey 2012 (SGC) [PDF, 1.1MB]
Photo 1: Bovis Homes’ development at Callicroft Place, Charlton Hayes, Patchway, Bristol (©Patchway Journal).
Photo 2: Redrow’s Aurora Spring development in Cheswick Village, North Bristol (©Stoke Gifford Journal).
Source: South Gloucestershire Council
