Countryside Partnerships : Strawberry Grange breaks ground with 260 new homes in the pipeline for Bridgwater

Countryside, the UK's leading mixed-tenure developer, welcomed partners LiveWest and Sigma Capital Group to its Strawberry Grange development in Bridgwater to mark the start of work on site.

Construction work is now underway at the former Bower Farm site, located on the eastern edge of the historic town of Bridgwater, where Countryside will be delivering 260 much-needed high-quality homes, 30% of which will be affordable. The first homes on this site, a collection of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, are set to be complete by summer 2023.

As part of the scheme, Countryside is working with LiveWest, the largest housing association in the South West, to provide 78 affordable homes for rent and shared ownership. The developer has also partnered with Sigma, one of the leading providers in the build-to-rent market, to deliver 100 build-to-rent units at the development under their private rental brand, Simple Life. Simple Life delivers properties in areas experiencing an undersupply of high-quality, professionally managed rental homes.

It is the first time Countryside has worked with LiveWest on a major house building project and also marks its first partnership with Sigma in the South West.

Darren Dancey, Managing Director, South West, Countryside, commented:

"I was delighted to celebrate this exciting milestone at our Strawberry Grange development alongside both LiveWest and Sigma. This marks another positive step forward for the scheme and I am pleased to be working with our partners to deliver a much-needed mix of housing for the area. I look forward to developing these partnerships further as we continue to expand our footprint in the South West."

Sharron Taylor, New Business Manager for LiveWest, said:

"We are delighted to have partnered with Countryside to deliver quality, much-needed affordable homes that meet local need. We look forward to working together on this scheme and developing our relationship as we look to reach even more communities in the South West.

"The mixture of affordable rent and shared ownership will ensure these homes are genuinely affordable at a time where the disparity between average earnings and average house prices is growing. We are committed to building vibrant communities and helping to make sure people can remain local. We are excited to be not only supporting local housing needs but also providing sustainable homes for the future."

Kate Tuckey, Development Director, Sigma, commented:

"We are proud of our longstanding partnership with Countryside, having worked together for over 15 years, and are thrilled to be working on our first deal together in the South West. It was fantastic to be on site to mark this key step forward for Strawberry Grange. We are pleased to be part of Countryside's first triple-mixed tenure site in the region and are excited to see the development progress over the coming months.

"All our Simple Life homes are pet friendly and come with plenty of space, gardens and fitted appliances and we look forward to serving communities across the South West as we work together to bring professionally managed,high-quality rental homes to a region facing growing demand."

Strawberry Grange is well-connected, with transport links that provide easy access to the town centre and the M5 motorway. As part of the scheme, Countryside will also deliver, and fund, a new roundabout providing access to the site and a link to connect a future housing development planned in the Dunwear Lane area.

This latest milestone marks a positive step for Countryside's ambitious development plans in the South West, as they continue with their sites in Bath, Bristol and Highbridge.

To register your interest in Strawberry Grange, please visithereor call 01278588346