St. Modwen has signed a long-term Development Agreement with the Tortworth Estate committing to deliver Buckover Garden Village in South Gloucestershire – a new community of up to 3,000 homes with supporting employment uses, alongside a range of health, education and community facilities, as well as transport and communications infrastructure, retail provision and green open spaces.
This agreement formalises St. Modwen’s selection as Tortworth Estate’s partner to work together and for ongoing survey and pre-application work at the proposed new development site.
St. Modwen will continue to work up plans for the scheme in partnership with the Tortworth Estate and actively consult with local residents, and other stakeholders, as these plans take shape.
The Buckover Garden Village concept was successfully included as an allocated site in the emerging West of England Joint Spatial Strategy (JSP), which is being led by The West of England Authorities (South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bristol City, Bath and North-East Somerset Unitary Councils).
This JSP identifies a need for 85,000 to 105,000 additional homes together with new employment opportunities, transport and infrastructure by 2036. The Tortworth Estate proposed developing 536 acres of its own non-greenbelt agricultural land into a new community based on the Government’s Garden Villages concept.
Robert Moreton of Tortworth Estate, said: “We see Buckover as an opportunity to help promote health and wellbeing through green infrastructure and the growing of local food and produce. The aim is deliver an inclusive community, employment opportunities and flexible housing for all, whilst preserving biodiversity and creating wildlife corridors, wetlands and green open spaces. Our family has been actively involved in the running of the estate, working with the local community since the 1620s, and the Estate will continue to be fully involved with the new development at Buckover. It will be our legacy for the future.”
Rupert Joseland, Property Director, West and Wales, St. Modwen said: “As a regional and national developer with expertise in creating new communities, we continually strive to change places to create better futures. This latest agreement further highlights St. Modwen’s track record of investing in the delivery of large-scale, long-term residential-led developments. As Tortworth Estate’s development partner, we will implement the infrastructure works associated with this extensive project, including new community facilities and employment opportunities. We will deliver up to 3,000 new homes, all of which will be designed to complement the existing area.
“We look forward to drawing up plans and consulting more broadly with the surrounding community and local stakeholders as they start to take shape, before we submit a planning application later this year.”
