New £2.8m development to 'breathe life' into town

A sum of £2.8m has been earmarked to "breathe life" into a residential area through 24 new homes, a council has announced.

Homes England has approved the funds for contractors Speller Metcalfe to build 17 apartments and seven houses at 320 Swindon Road in Cheltenham, the borough council said.

The development will also include green outdoor spaces and sustainability features, such as solar panels and green roofs.

"This is a great milestone and a wonderful opportunity to bring a former disused brownfield site back to life," said Alisha Lewis, cabinet member for major developments and housing delivery.

Cheltenham Borough Council said the project marked "a significant step forward" in its plans to bring more affordable housing to the town.

The homes will be available through social rent and shared ownership and construction work is scheduled to begin this autumn.

Ms Lewis said: "The £2.8m of funding that's been approved is a significant addition to our investment in housing in Cheltenham.

"This is one of many major projects for the borough that we're working on to provide much needed housing to people, whether they are on a waiting list or have been struggling to get on the ladder, everyone deserves a place they can call home."

In the green spaces, room has been made available for hedgehog highways and bat, bee, and bird boxes.

Mark Eaton, divisional director at Speller Metcalfe, said it was looking forward to getting the project under way later this year.

"As a contractor with strong regional roots, we know how important developments like this are in supporting local communities - creating high-quality housing while promoting greener, healthier neighbourhoods," he said.

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