Council selects development partner for flagship housing site

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North Somerset Council has taken another step forward in the delivery of a flagship new site for high quality, highly sustainable and affordable homes in Nailsea.

Yesterday, the council’s Executive agreed to the selection of Stonewood Partnerships as its preferred development partner for council-owned land to the south of The Uplands in Nailsea.

The Executive heard that discussions during the selection process had enabled the amount of affordable housing to be delivered at the site to increase from 30 per cent to 40 per cent.

Stonewood Partnerships are a small but growing developer with a focus on “Distinctive New Homes”. In delivering the site, they have committed to working with the existing design team led by Mikhail Riches Architects, winners of the 2019 RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture.

Stonewood’s bid confirmed that they would meet the sustainability criteria required by the council, which includes that all homes will be Passivhaus certified and that electric vehicle charging will be provided to all homes.

Commenting on the selection of Stonewood, Cllr Mark Canniford, executive member for placemaking and economy said: "We’re delighted to be working with Stonewood Partnerships. Their bid demonstrated a strong commitment to quality and they are embracing the sustainability and new technologies that are to be embedded in the scheme. We look forward to seeing the homes delivered on site.

"The additional affordable housing is a real bonus and shows how we are committed to the delivery of homes to meet the needs of our local communities."

James Petherick, Land and Planning Director at Stonewood Partnerships added: "We are very pleased to have been awarded this contract and very much look forward to working with North Somerset Council to bring this exciting development forward. Building truly sustainable, distinctively designed and high quality homes is central to our business and Uplands will be a flagship scheme for us." 

Work at the site is expected to start by the end of 2022, with the scheme completing in 2024.

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