First affordable new homes for town to be built since 2000

WORK has begun on a new housing estate that will provide the first affordable new homes in Ashburton since 2000.

A new development of 39 affordable homes is to be built at the Longstone Cross site on Rew Road on the edge of the town.

Housing association LiveWest has teamed up with Dartmoor National Park Authority, Teignbridge District Council and local developers Coyde Construction to develop a scheme for the four-acre site, and it is expected the first homes will be ready to move into during autumn 2022.

The last affordable housing development in Ashburton was completed in 2000, and since then, the Ashburton Affordable Housing Group, its successor Ashburton Community Land Trust and Ashburton Town Council, have continued to explore ways of working with partners to provide and allocate more affordable homes for residents and people with a close connection to the town.

The development will include a range of homes, from one to fourbedroom properties, including a two bedroom bungalow which will be specifically built for a wheelchair user.

The homes will be a mix of 25 social rent units and 14 units for shared ownership.

The development will benefit from both Homes England strategic partnership funding and Teignbridge

District Council grant funding. Michael Howells, Assistant Development Manager for LiveWest, said: “We are very excited to have started our new development in Ashburton. Our vision is to create homes and communities that people love to live in and this is a location which definitely supports this.

“Due to the additional funding, the development at Ashburton is being delivered as a 100% affordable housing development.”