A legal agreement has been signed which will allow the 8,000-home Manydown scheme in Basingstoke to move ahead.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council have now signed the legal and financial documents which complete the sale of the land from The Manydown Company.
It was originally acquired by the two councils under a long lease with an option to purchase the freehold in 1996. The councils agreed to the principal terms of the sale in October 2023 and completion of the deal will allow development of the first 3,520 homes to go-ahead.
The councils are in partnership with Urban&Civic and The Wellcome Trust to develop the site.
Urban&Civic can now prepare the site for development including creating access for construction, roads and installation of utilities.
The borough council’s cabinet member for major projects and regeneration, Cllr Onnalee Cubitt, said: “We are delighted to announce that we have signed the deal to unlock the land at Manydown, which means we can start building new homes.
“This is a key and exciting new development that will combine the best features from Hampshire villages and towns, with contemporary sustainable design, supported by well-planned infrastructure and facilities. It will also include a 250-acre countryside park that will be a first for our town.
“Manydown is an essential cog in our wheel and it is great news that we are back on track to build the houses we need. It will provide 3,520 new homes, with 40 per cent of them affordable.
“We are determined that Manydown will create communities that we can be proud of and we want Manydown to be a beacon of excellence in the region. This is one of the key promises we have made and we are delivering on it.”
Leader of Hampshire County Council, Cllr Nick Adams-King, said: “This is very good news and realises a huge milestone in bringing forward plans for building much-needed new housing in the area, especially more affordable homes. We will continue to work in close partnership with the borough council and Urban&Civic to help bring the development to life.”
The site has outline permission for a community of up to 3,520 new homes, a 250-acre countryside park, two primary schools with land reserved for a potential secondary school and other mixed uses including businesses, shops and community facilities.
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