Lands Improvement plans major residential development with acquisition of 89-acre site in Cheltenham

Lands Improvement has acquired 89 acres on the western edge of Cheltenham to develop plans for much needed new housing.

Located between Gloucester and Cheltenham in the borough of Tewkesbury, the site comprises two parcels of land, covering 55 and 34 acres respectively, which have been purchased from two separate private landowners. Lands Improvement has identified land for the creation of a new community of around 600 homes

Currently designated as Green Belt, the site lies within an area identified by Cheltenham Borough Council for mid-term growth and is well placed to fill the gap in housing land supply that has arisen from the shortage of delivery from strategic allocations in the adopted and emerging Joint Core Strategy. It is also considered well placed to support the development of the West Cheltenham Cyber Central garden community being developed in partnership by Cheltenham Borough Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council, Gloucestershire County Council and GFirst LEP.

Situated within a mile from the site and next to the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the Cyber Central development will see a world-leading business hub for cyber technology created in Gloucestershire, as part of larger 326-acre proposals that include the creation of 3,000 homes in a new garden village.

Sam Mogridge, Head of Acquisitions at Lands Improvement said:

“We believe this site is an ideal location for much needed new homes close to excellent transport links, Cheltenham town centre and Cyber Central, which promises to be a key area of employment and residential growth for the area.

The Joint Core Strategy is shortly due to continue its Review process and we are confident this site, which lies in an area already identified to meet future growth, will prove to be a sensible and sustainable location to deliver a significant number of the high-quality new homes that are required to underpin population growth in the coming years.”

Lands Improvement works regionally with farmers and a wide range of landowners to assess development potential of sites and add value through planning and infrastructure delivery. Its approach is based on working with, rather than against, central and local government policy makers and local communities in a joint effort to bring forward schemes, which properly consider public transport, parks, schools, community facilities and public spaces as part of the delivery of “ready-to-build” land parcels for housebuilders and developers.

Lands Improvement’s legal advisers on the transactions were Maples Teesdale and agents Bruton Knowles on the purchase.