THE first residents of a new housing development in Blandford St Mary have moved in.

Bellway Wessex is building 207 new homes at St Mary’s Hill, just off the A354, with 53 of the 136 private homes already being purchased. 71 of the houses are being developed as affordable housing for local people through rent or shared ownership.

The development comprises two, tree and four-bedroom properties with the first 16 buyers having already moved in.

Kim Caldwell, Sales Director for Bellway Wessex, said: “Construction work is progressing well at St Mary’s Hill and we are very pleased to have welcomed residents onto the development.

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“We have handed the keys to16 buyers who are already enjoying life in their new home. We have sold more than 50 homes now and as more residents move onto the site we will soon see a brand-new community beginning to take shape.

“As part of our commitment to Blandford St Mary we are not only building more than a hundred private houses for sale, we are also delivering 71 affordable homes to be made available to local people through rent or shared ownership – more than a third of the total number of properties on the site. So far, we have built 23 of these homes and handed them over to the local authority.”

A specially commissioned sculpture by Dorset sculptor Lee Dickenson – called The Cooper, in homage to both the area’s brewing heritage and the name of one of Bellway’s Artisan Collection house types – is set to be installed within a new public open space at the development.

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Kim said: “The Artisan Collection, which is a selection of high-quality homes which combine modern construction techniques with traditional craftsmanship, is proving very popular with buyers at this development.

“There has been a lot of interest from the local area, with several people from Wimborne Minster and Poole buying at St Mary’s Hill. These are mainly growing families who need a bigger house but can’t afford to buy in the more expensive places where they live.