NEW-build affordable houses in the village of Hazelbury Bryan have welcomed representatives of Dorset Council to review the progress of the development.

A total of 21 new affordable homes were announced for the village last March and are being built by Abri. Fifteen of the houses are being offered as shared ownership with the remaining six as affordable rent after receiving funding from Homes England.

Councillor Graham Carr-Jones, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Safety, and Andrew Billany, Corporate Director of Housing at Dorset Council visited the development which will deliver much needed affordable homes for the area.

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Abri, one of the south’s largest housing providers, is building the development on the former site of Handley Cross Fine Foods. AJC Development, Dorset contractor, is undertaking the construction of the 21 houses.

A spokesperson for Abri said: “The homes will help people that have links to the area get on the housing ladder."

Councillor Graham Carr-Jones from Dorset Council said: “It’s great to see the progress being made on these new homes which will provide more opportunities for people with links to the area to get on the housing ladder. Affordable housing makes a significant difference to people’s lives and Dorset Council is working on several affordable schemes across the council area to bolster communities and prioritise local need for homes.”

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The new development has received grant funding from Homes England to help build the two and three-bedroom houses which are expected to be completed by winter 2022.

Steve Taylor, Head of Land and Planning at Abri said: “We know the importance affordable homes play in meeting local needs and I’m delighted to see the progress being made on site. Abri is committed to building 12,500 new homes by 2030 and, working in partnership with Dorset Council and AJC Developments we have an exceptional example of how a former brownfield site can be redeveloped for the benefit of the community.” Andrew Billany, Corporate Director of Housing at Dorset Council said: “As part of our Housing Strategy we actively support the development of affordable homes. We’re committed to working in partnership with housing providers to ensure more homes are available in the right areas.”