Housebuilder Persimmon Homes will give £327,000 to school as part of deal to build 64 homes

Persimmon Homes South Coast will build 64 new homes off New Road in Swanmore.

The development, which would be almost opposite secondary school Swanmore College on New Road, caused anger when it was submitted as residents said it would make a ‘ludicrous’ traffic situation worse, and was an ‘accident waiting to happen’. It was granted planning permission last year.

The road has seen accidents, including one a year ago in which an 11-year-old boy was injured.

The six-acre site will incorporate a range of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes. Twenty-five will be managed by a housing association, and a public play area will also be built.

Sharon Eckford, land director for Persimmon Homes South Coast, said: ‘We are pleased to confirm our plans for this development, which will deliver much-needed new homes for local people alongside financial contributions to support the community.

‘More than £327,000 will be paid towards improvements to school facilities and an employment and skills plan will aid training and development, supporting construction jobs for local people.

‘This development has the potential to support up to 198* jobs – both those directly employed in building the site, and indirectly through the supply chain and additional spending within the neighbourhood.’

More than £390,000 will be paid by Persimmon as a Community Infrastructure Levy, to enable the local authority to deliver the specific additional infrastructure needed in the area, along with almost £71,000 towards affordable housing within the district.

The company will also fund the monitoring of the adjacent Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation and make a nitrates mitigation contribution to offset the impact of the development and ensure it is nitrate neutral.

The site is allocated for housing and development under Winchester City Council’s local plan and will provide access to the remainder of the allocated housing to the east of the site.

Ms Eckford added: ‘Our plans include homes to suit a range of buyers, from those looking to get onto the property ladder for the first time to families seeking more space.

‘We hope to commence work on site later in the year.’