Building work is underway on a new £20m development of affordable housing with low-carbon heating systems in Cheltenham.

Housing association Bromford has started construction of 71 new homes on a brownfield site on Village Road, Arle in the town. The four-acre site is the former home of the Douglas Equipment factory which had been empty since the site closed in 2020. The former factory buildings were demolished in April in preparation for work getting underway to build the new homes. The development, called The Fairway, will be a mix of 1-bedroom maisonettes and two, three, four and five-bedroom homes. Thirty-two homes will be available to rent, with the other 39 available to part-buy, and part-rent through Bromford's shared ownership scheme.

All 71 homes at The Fairway will be heated by air source heat pumps, which are a low-carbon alternative to gas boilers. The homes will all have EV charging points, and most will also have solar panels. The £20m development is being part-funded by Bromford's strategic partnership with Homes England.

Stuart Hay, Bromford project manager, said: "I'm delighted that work is underway on our new development to provide new affordable, sustainable homes here in Cheltenham. Installing air source heat pumps in all these homes will reduce our customers' reliance on fossil fuels and help us on our journey to becoming a net-zero carbon organisation.

"House prices in Cheltenham are ten times average incomes*, which means buying a home in the town is out of reach for many people, so there is a clear need for more affordable housing in the town. With a mix of rented and shared ownership homes, the variation of housing we are providing at The Fairways means there's something for everyone. I'm looking forward to seeing the site progress over the coming months and welcoming the first customers into their new homes."

The homes are being built by Bromford's in-house construction team, which last year completed 232 of the 1,265 homes built by the Gloucestershire-based housing association. The entire development is due to be completed in spring 2025 with the first shared-ownership homes available soon.

*Source: National Housing Federation.