Work to start on first of 1,500 homes

Doncaster Council has already given the green light to outline plans for the Carr Lodge site, on the edge of Balby, south of the town centre, but detailed plans are now emerging.

The first scheme to take shape has been drawn up by the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), in conjunction with Doncaster developer Keepmoat, and will see the first 329 houses built.

HCA bosses have described the Carr Lodge site, which was once agricultural, as “surplus public land”, and it is being developed under what is described as an “accelerated land delivery programme”.

Developers said the first phase will be known as Dominium and will include 172 “affordable homes” built by Keepmoat, which specialises in that field.

Keepmoat’s sister company, Strata Homes will build a further 132 larger homes and 25 so-called Custom Build plots will also be provided for people who want to buy a plot and build a house.

Dave Sheridan, Keepmoat’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted with the council’s decision to approve the first phase of 
this major new housing development.

“The Carr Lodge development will create an exciting new community for people to live and work and we are already receiving a lot of enquiries about the new homes that will be developed here.

“As a national company but with a head office located in Doncaster, this is a significant project for us.

“We are looking forward to working in partnership with the HCA, Strata and the council to deliver high quality, affordable homes for local people.”

The HCA said the wider development would incorporate 1,500 new houses of varying types as well as a series of other community facilities.

Blueprints have been drawn up which show a new main street and village square, incorporating shops and a community hall, a children’s nursery, a primary school, youth club, sports pitches, play areas and a linear park.

HCA bosses said works to provide “improved transportation links” to the site were also underway with the development of a new single carriageway spine road.

The road, which is being completed, will link the roundabouts at either end of Woodfield Way, which is currently incomplete, with dead ends at the Tesco Supermarket at Woodfield Plantation and at the Holiday Inn in White Rose Way.

Alan Beveridge, area manager at the HCA, added: “This is the culmination of three years hard work to provide the roads and services as well as the homes that are needed in the local area.

“Alongside the 216 homes for sale there will be 66 homes for rent and 22 available to buy on a shared ownership basis helping to ensure that these new homes will be available to everyone.”

Mr Beveridge said when complete, Carr Lodge will include a “network of high-quality green routes, which have been designed to encourage walking and cycling and provide connections to local facilities”.

The HCA has stipulated that Carr Lodge be Doncaster’s first “low-carbon community” with all homes designed to the Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes.

The first phase of the development is expected to take three years to build, with houses being built to the west of the site, close to the existing Tesco supermarket first.

A delivery date for the entire Carr Lodge project has not been published.