PLANS have been unveiled for a 46-home development in Fordingbridge by a local company seeking to attract employees to the area amid a lack of affordable housing in the New Forest.
A recent public consultation evening held at the town hall outlined the proposal by Corintech Ltd for the mixture of flats, bungalows and houses at Lights Farm, north of the town and west of the A338 Salisbury Road.
A formal application has not yet been submitted to New Forest District Council but company documents online stated the aim was to provide more affordable housing for workers.
It said: “We own and operate a local electronics design and manufacturing company, Corintech Ltd, in Fordingbridge, which is one of, if not the largest, local employer employing people with a wide range of skill sets and skill levels.
“It is difficult to attract new staff and to grow our business due to the high cost of local housing, making it difficult for prospective employees, especially those in the early stages of their careers, to get on the housing ladder.
“We know other local businesses are finding the same pressures in attracting new staff to the area.”
The consultation website stated the houses will be designed to be highly sustainable in their design, construction and operation.
It added they will be “greener, cheaper and warmer than those typically being offered on the market”.
The existing Middle Burgate house on the proposed site would be converted and extended to provide a range of new apartments, some of which will be suited to first-time buyers, together with a new, multi-purpose community space.
Under the plans, areas of currently inaccessible green space would be opened for public use including footpaths, cycleways and natural play equipment.
The development proposal added: “The development of Lights Farm provides the opportunity to take a redundant and unsightly piece of former agri-industrial land and transform it into a new, highly sustainable and attractive residential community with generous outdoor green spaces for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.”
For more information or to submit feedback visit www.lights-farm.com
