Harworth Group plc, a leading regenerator of land and property for sustainable development and investment, has sold a serviced land parcel at its Waverley site in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, to Forge New Homes for the development of 32 houses. This is Harworth’s first sale to the regional housebuilder, which was established as a joint venture between five housing associations – South Yorkshire Housing Association, Great Places Housing Group, the Guinness Partnership, Together Housing and Yorkshire Housing.
The new development will comprise two and three-bedroom terraced homes and will be built as part of Olive Lane, a new focal point for the community with amenities such as cafes, restaurants and local shops, alongside a new medical centre.
The new homes will provide a distinctive offer and be available for market sale. They will feature attractive street frontages, free-flowing layouts and a design that allows blended indoor and outdoor living, while also being fully electric. The homes will have individual south-facing gardens, parking spaces with EV charging ports, and will be set amongst landscaped communal areas and footways. South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has awarded Forge New Homes grant funding from the SYMCA Brownfield Housing Fund to support the delivery of the new homes.
A planning application for the retail and leisure element of Olive Lane is currently awaiting determination by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. Subject to the timing of a planning approval, Harworth intends to break ground on the development later this year. The medical centre already benefits from a planning approval and is expected to open by the end of 2024. Elsewhere at Waverley, a new learn-to-ride cycle track was opened in September by triple Olympian Ed Clancy, the latest in a series of community facilities that Harworth has built to date at the site.
Harworth continues to see robust housebuilder demand for its differentiated serviced land product. In its recently announced Half Year Results to 30 June 2023, the Group reported that the average number of bids it had received on residential land parcels marketed so far this year was in line with the prior year, with average headline bids ahead of book values. In July, the Group completed a sale to Barratt and David Wilson Homes of a land parcel at its Thoresby Vale site in Nottinghamshire, for the construction of 174 new homes.
“Forge is building a track-record of delivering high-quality modern homes designed for families, and we are delighted to be welcoming them to Waverley. This latest sale demonstrates the robust demand we are seeing for our serviced land products, which are located in established communities with plentiful green space, amenities and well-designed public realms, allowing housebuilders to start building much-needed new homes from day one.”
Ed Catchpole, Regional Director – Yorkshire & Central, Harworth
“Olive Lane is a fantastic scheme by Harworth, one that will continue to transform the area and create a strong community at Waverley. We’re delighted to have been granted planning approval to build 32 family homes by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. The development will have a focus on open space and outdoor community areas, providing a vibrant neighbourhood for buyers. With customers at our heart, we’ll continue to build liveable spaces for thriving households and growing communities.”
Andy Beattie, Director, Forge New Homes