Major East Midlands development progresses

Homes England has announced acquisition of 250 acres of land, making it a strategic investor in the project along with the majority landowner, Derbyshire-based CWC Group.

The deal unlocks this strategic site for the delivery of much needed new housing in one of the Government’s high affordability areas.

The acquisition enables Homes England to now work with CWC Group and Rushcliffe Borough Council on a project that will deliver 3,000 homes and 100,000 square metres of employment space across 605 acres over the next ten years. The total value of the project is over £800 million.

The company behind Fairham, the CWC Group, says the investment will help to accelerate infrastructure and preparatory works across the site. It is envisaged houses and commercial properties will start to be delivered on site by 2020 and eventually over 3,000 homes and more than 1 million sq ft of commercial and employment space will be created. There will also be a district centre and extensive community facilities including playing fields, a health centre and primary school and potential future extension of the NET tram.

The most significant mixed use development in the East Midlands, Fairham will also create a thriving and diverse community with new health, education, leisure, retail and community facilities for residents in a well-planned, safe and friendly environment.

Fairham sits alongside the new £150 million A453 Remembrance Way that links directly to the M1. The site is also next to the current NET tram terminus at Clifton. It is within a 15 minute drive of East Midlands Airport, East Midlands Parkway station and the planned new HS2 station at Toton, and a 20 minute drive or tram ride from Nottingham city centre.

Robert Hepwood, Land and Planning Director at the CWC Group, said:

Our priorities are first and foremost around delivering an exemplar development that will enhance the region and locality, as well as being of the very highest quality and sustainability. With this new investment from Homes England we can move forward with infrastructure and preparatory work across the site, readying Fairham for its first homes and commercial buildings in 2020.”

Executive Director for Land at Homes England, Stephen Kinsella, said: “Our acquisition of this land is an example of how Homes England can intervene and provide more certainty for the delivery of infrastructure and accelerate overall development. Homes England and the CWC Group will now work jointly as Master Developers to deliver the primary infrastructure to create a high quality and sustainable urban extension.”

Rushcliffe Borough Council’s executive manager for communities, Dave Mitchell, said: “Rushcliffe has been working hard to deliver its local plan which commits to building 13,150 new homes by 2028. Delivery of the Fairham site is essential to our ability to maintain the momentum required, whilst is it is also a strategically important site locally, regionally and nationally for Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council and ourselves.”