Hill Group acquires 71 acres of land for new housing

Housebuilder The Hill Group has acquired 71 acres of land in Buckinghamshire for a landmark development it says will include 40% of “affordable” homes.The land, which has outline planning for a “significant” new settlement, is situated in Little Chalfont, in the South East of the county.Formerly the site of a golf club and neighbouring property, the land deal was facilitated by the acquisition of two local landowner companies; Biddulph (Buckinghamshire) Ltd, and Homestead (REL) Ltd. The sale was undertaken by CBRE.The masterplan for the development includes up to 380 new low-carbon private sale and “affordable” homes, a single-form entry primary school, a retirement village, a care home, sports and play facilities, a community centre, a health surgery, and a local convenience store, all set within significant green open space.Plans for the development include 152 affordable homes (40%), with 80 for affordable rent, 34 for shared ownership, and 38 one-bedroom first homes discounted to 70% of their market value.The plans also include allocation for a retirement village of up to 100 homes, a care home for 60 residents and 15 custom-built plots.Andy Hill OBE, group chief executive of The Hill Group, said: “At Hill, we’re committed to building not just homes, but thriving communities where people of all ages love to live. The acquisition of this stunning site in Little Chalfont represents a unique opportunity to do just that, creating a vibrant, multi-generational village extension with a comprehensive range of essential community services and amenities woven into the fabric of the local area.“Little Chalfont already boasts a strong sense of community, and we’re committed to working closely with residents and other local stakeholders to ensure our development complements and enriches the existing landscape. We’re excited to embark on this journey with the Little Chalfont community, and we look forward to bringing this new development vision to life.”Sustainability is to be a central focus of the gas-free development, the company says, with dwellings designed to reduce operational carbon emissions through energy-efficient and renewable technologies including air-source heat pumps, photovoltaic panels on roofs, and electric vehicle charging points for all properties. In addition, all homes will meet a water efficiency standard of no more than 100 litres per person per day.Furthermore, Hill aims to “actively boost” the site’s biodiversity through a programme of new tree planting, the preservation of Stoney Deane and other ancient woodlands, and the creation of 10 hectares of suitable alternative natural green space (SANG), including pedestrian and cycle paths, to promote healthy living. This will be further promoted via the inclusion of parks, allotments, and a multi-use games area together with several play areas throughout the development.Jasper Masters, executive director at CBRE said: “Little Chalfont Park is regarded by many in the industry as the best housing development site to transact in the UK in 2023. It’s an exemplar deal which will act as a bellwether of the residential land market, as well as being a testament to the foresight of our landowner clients over many years.”Hill says it will submit a series of reserved matters planning applications for the development by autumn 2024, starting on site in the spring of 2025. The build phase is planned to last six years, with the final completions expected by spring/summer 2031.Read next: Bromford clinches land deal for over 200 homesAre you a social housing professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.