The Mayor of South Molton and the Leader of North Devon Council joined housebuilder Baker Estates on the site of a new range of homes in South Molton that will deliver major economic benefits to the town.
The guests, who also included South Molton Town Councillors David Worden and John Moore, plus Devon County Councillor Jeremy Yabsley, viewed the land off North Road which is currently being cleared before construction begins for the first 56 new homes, 50 of which will be bungalows.
Built by Devon-based housebuilder Baker Estates, once complete the significant new development will provide up to 250 new homes. It also promises to deliver a number of major economic benefits to the town. This includes in excess of £500,000 towards primary school provision, significant landscape improvements including new hedgerows on the site, a new community orchard, allotments and trim trail plus the installation of a new Toucan Crossing. The site also has the potential to deliver future funding towards the costs of a medical centre.
Councillor Des Brailey, Leader of North Devon Council, said: “The council welcomes this new development to South Molton and is pleased to see that plans are set to take another step forward. The mixture of new homes and the additional facilities will be a great boost to the town bringing lots of benefits for local residents.
“Baker Estates came to see me and our Chief Executive, Mike Mansell, some 18 months ago to gauge future development in South Molton. This was to make sure that the new development would complement what is already in the town and our visions for the town and North Devon in the future.”
Christine Lock, Mayor of South Molton, said: “Start of development at Bee Meadows is great news for South Molton. I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the site, meet the team and mark this milestone with District and County Council colleagues. The development itself commands far reaching views in all directions and will bring many benefits to the wider community. We will be following the progress on site with interest and look forward to seeing these much needed homes for local people become a reality.”
Ian Baker, Managing Director of Baker Estates, added: “We’ve worked closely with South Molton Town Council and other stakeholders to bring forward these high-quality plans that will transform this site into a significant number of quality new homes. They are as keen as we are to drive forward regeneration projects in South Molton and our new development is going to deliver some fantastic additional benefits to the town. It’s brilliant to welcome them to site and celebrate work getting underway.”