A Dorset housebuilder has completed an £8m housing development on the site of a disused depot in the village of Hazelbury Bryan.
AJC Group has built 21 new homes for housing provider Abri on the two-acre brownfield site, where a Handley Cross Depot once stood but had lain derelict for eight years.
The properties at the Violet Cross scheme, located around five miles south west of the town of Sturminster Newton, are a mix of two and three bedroom homes, with all classified as affordable housing.
AJC, which is based on Sandbanks Road in Poole, said planning permission was initially awarded for 13 homes on the open market and eight affordable dwellings, but it had worked with Abri to make the project 100% affordable as part of its strategy to “change the face of social housing”.
Site remediation and construction work took a total of 18 months to complete. Designed by Morgan Carey architects, there are five two-bedroom homes and 16 three-bedroom houses.
An event was held on site for those directly involved in the project to mark its completion.
David Cracklen, Director of AJC Group, said: “We are extremely proud of this partnership project. Working together with Abri, we have transformed a derelict brownfield site into 21 outstanding new homes.
“These eco-focused houses are in line with our aim and vision to produce higher quality affordable homes throughout the Wessex region, responding to the housing needs of this previously underserved rural community.”
Ralph Facey, Director of Operations at Abri added: “Affordability is such a key issue now, particularly with the increased cost of living and the significant demand for affordable housing, so it’s great to be making all these 21 new homes affordable.
Andrew Billany, corporate director of housing at Dorset Council, said: “We know that there is a great need for affordable housing in predominantly rural areas like Hazelbury Bryan. Our Housing Register shows that to be the case, with many local people unable to find homes they can afford in the area.
AJC, which recently appointed Sebastian Janes as its new managing director, said it is set to deliver more than 200 mixed-tenure homes this year, reflecting a construction value in excess of £100m.
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