Councillors celebrate affordable housing contract

The housebuilder behind the Backbridge Farm development in Malmesbury and a local housing association have marked their agreement to deliver more affordable homes on the site.

Persimmon Homes Wessex and Selwood Housing have exchanged contracts on six high-quality properties that the former will hand over to the latter, once complete, to alleviate local housing pressure in the town.

They were joined on-site to by three new members of Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet. Cllr Adrian Foster is the new Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Development Management, and Housing; Cllr Gavin Grant has the finance portfolio; and Cllr Martin Smith looks after Highways, Streetscene, and Flooding.

Cllr Smith is also the county division member for Sherston, where the site is located, while Cllr Grant represents the town of Malmesbury itself.

This latest transfer of homes comes on the Punters Farm extension, adjacent to Backbridge Farm, after Persimmon secured permission to bring 21 more high-quality homes to the area. It brings the total number of homes transferred to Selwood Housing in Malmesbury to over 80.

The latest homes will be zero carbon-ready – equipped with air source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points. The scheme will also deliver a new vehicular access for the tennis club.

The site’s proximity to Backbridge Farm means it will benefit from the new infrastructure and amenities delivered as part of the larger development, including a village green, pocket parks, play areas, attenuation ponds, and a recently opened footbridge into the town itself. A 10% Biodiversity Net Gain will be achieved through onsite features. 

The accredited five-star housebuilder currently has two and three-bed homes available to purchase on the open market at Backbridge Farm, available from £203,000.

Persimmon donates £700,000 each year to good causes and much-valued organisations across Britain each year as part of its Community Champions scheme. Recent local recipients include Malmesbury Victoria FC, Malmesbury Town Carnival, and the Doorway Homeless Charity.

Seb Spiller, Managing Director of Persimmon Homes Wessex, said: "Persimmon is delighted to partner once again with Selwood Housing after establishing a positive relationship with them across multiple sites over the years.

“Tackling the housing crisis requires a positive and collaborative approach, and we were also pleased to welcome senior figures from the new Wiltshire Council administration to see our work on-site in Malmesbury.

“We're committed to working closely with our housing association partners such as Selwood, and the local authority, to deliver high-quality new homes for local people in Malmesbury and right across Wiltshire.”

Paul Walsh, Group Development Director for Selwood Housing, said: “Selwood Housing is pleased to be delivering more local affordable homes increasing its stock in Malmesbury through this agreement with Persimmon, bringing our total on the Backbridge and Punters Farms sites to over 80 new, low-cost homes.

“This final phase of homes at Persimmon’s site in town will make a real difference in helping local people find stable homes and get onto the housing ladder.”

Cllr Adrian Foster, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Development Management, and Housing, said: “We are committed to the development of housing that reflects local needs and gives people the opportunities to live in quality affordable homes.

“It is always positive seeing local developers and housing associations working together, and I was pleased to discuss with both Persimmon Homes and Selwood Housing how we can work with them in future to deliver homes in Wiltshire going forward.

“I look forward to construction on these houses being complete so that people can move in and enjoy everything they have to offer”.  

Cllr Gavin Grant, Cabinet Member for Finance and Wiltshire Councillor for Malmesbury, said: “Persimmon has shown itself to be a truly local developer that has worked hard to engage with the Town Council and local community over the Backbridge Farm development. It is hugely positive that they will, again, be helping local people on the Council’s waiting list for homes through providing affordable housing opportunities by partnering again with Selwood Housing, a very good housing association.”