New Forest District Council (NFDC) has officially opened their latest affordable housing development, providing 23 homes in New Milton, on the former site of the Advertiser and Times newspaper.
The site has been transformed through a regeneration scheme led by New Forest District Council and delivered by Pennyfarthing Homes with funding support from Homes England.
The scheme has seen the sensitive conversion of the former office to create 10 affordable homes, alongside 13 newly built one and two-bedroom flats on the footprint of two former commercial buildings.
An official opening event took place on Monday 24 November, attended by representatives from NFDC, Pennyfarthing Homes, Homes England, and members of the project team.
Cllr Steve Davies, portfolio holder for housing and homelessness, said, “This development is another great example of how we’re bringing new life to underused sites while creating affordable homes that people in our communities really need. We’re committed to increasing the supply of good-quality, well-designed homes across the district, working in partnership with developers and Homes England to deliver real local benefit.”
This latest scheme forms part of New Forest District Council’s wider housing programme, which is focused on making best use of land in its ownership, supporting local housing need, and ensuring developments contribute positively to their surroundings.
Other recent projects include the redevelopment of Hythe Medical Centre to provide 22 new homes and 20 apartments under construction in Totton. Together these developments are helping to deliver the council’s long-term ambitions to provide a range of affordable and sustainable homes across the district.
Mark Adams, Executive Chairman at Pennyfarthing Homes, said: “We are proud to have partnered with New Forest District Council on this regeneration project. Transforming a disused site close to the heart of New Milton into high-quality, affordable homes is a great example of collaboration that will benefit the local community. These new homes not only provide much-needed accommodation for local people, but the scheme has also revitalised a site that has been empty for some time. I hope that the new residents will enjoy making these homes their own.”
All of the homes on the Advertiser and Times site in New Milton have been provided for rent and allocated through the New Forest District Council Homesearch Housing Register.
