WORK has started on a new social housing estate in one Herefordshire town.

Affordable housing specialist Living Space has started on the construction of 54 new social housing properties on the edge of Leominster, Herefordshire.

Working with housing association, Stonewater, Living Space will see the new homes built on 1.5 hectares of former farmland at the junction of Cholstrey Road and Ginhall Lane.

The scheme will include rented, shared ownership and rent-to-buy houses, ranging from one to four bedrooms, along with three accessible homes.

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This significant milestone comes after a five-year delay, with the initial consultation taking place in 2019. Plans were held up because of stringent regulations aimed at protecting the river Lugg catchment from nutrient pollution.

Living Space was able to successfully navigate these challenges by securing ‘phosphate credits’ from the council, to go towards the costs of a new pollution-absorbing wetland in nearby Luston. 

Paul Breen, managing director at Living Space said: “This project has come with real challenges since we first applied for planning permission over five years ago, so, seeing spades in the ground is a great feeling. Working with Stonewater also means that once these homes are complete, we’ll be able to offer the community much-needed, affordable housing.

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“We’ve accelerated our pipeline of delivery this year, after a record 2023, and the new builds in Leominster will help strengthen this even further. We’re on track to deliver 372 homes this year, that communities can be proud of.”

Matt Crucefix, director of development (south and west) at Stonewater said: “It’s great to be working with Living Space again, this time to deliver new, high-quality, affordable homes in Herefordshire. Introducing more affordable and accessible housing to the area will provide flexibility to our customers in the community, and for some, act as a stepping stone to full home ownership.”

An event marking the first phase of construction is set to take place on July 22 at the Herefordshire site, with representatives from Stonewater and Living Space attending.