Government Funding Unlocks New Homes

A new funding package worth £83 million from the Government has been agreed to accelerate the delivery of 3,000 new homes at Fairham, a 606-acre mixed use development on the edge of Nottingham.

This funding will support the delivery of much-needed infrastructure to help bring Fairham forward, accelerating the creation of new homes and jobs within the area.

Along with the new homes, Fairham will also deliver a new school, community centre, health centre, sports pitches, community parks and woodland. With 100,000 sq metres of employment space, its location on the edge of Nottingham and proximity to East Midlands Airport, the M1 and the East Coast Mainline, the area is also well placed to create and sustain new jobs.

New roads, cycleways, utility provisions and landscaping will also form part of the infrastructure delivered as part of the development. Homes England, the Government’s housing delivery agency, acquired 250 acres of the 606-acre site in May 2019 and is working in partnership with Clowes Developments as Master Developers to deliver the primary infrastructure needed to create a high-quality, sustainable urban expansion.

£62 million of the funding comes from Homes England’s £1.3 billion Land Assembly Fund while Clowes Developments has secured a £21 million loan from the Home Building Fund.

Housing Minister, the Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP, said: “This is fantastic for Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands not only because we are building 3,000 new homes but also for the boost this will give to jobs and the local economy. This is part of our mission to build back better from the pandemic and deliver the homes this country needs.”

Gordon More, Interim Chief Executive for Homes England, commented: “This is a big milestone for Fairham and means that work can start in earnest. As the country starts to think about the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, large projects such as this not only meet a demand for high-quality new homes but also support the housebuilding sector by creating a pipeline of work, providing much-needed stability.

“We’ve been working hard with Clowes Developments and Rushcliffe Borough Council to ensure that our plans for Fairham will help meet local needs and provide facilities that the whole community can enjoy.”

Robert Hepwood, Land and Planning Director at Clowes Developments, added: “This funding package from the Government really helps us to make progress on-site across Fairham and start to realise our vision of a green and distinctive new district for Nottingham.

“By working in partnership with public bodies we can now accelerate the delivery of new jobs and new homes for Nottinghamshire. We’re sure that people will begin to see further progress on-site throughout this year with our first new homes due to start construction in the autumn.”

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