MUCH-NEEDED NEW HOMES SET FOR HINGHAM AFTER UNANIMOUS PLANNING CONSENT GRANTED TO LOCAL HOUSE BUILDER
A Norfolk house builder is to make a start on building 88 new homes in Hingham, after its plans gained unanimous approval today (Wednesday 4th March) from South Norfolk Council’s Planning Committee.
Watton-based Abel Homes has made an immediate start on the contracting process, and plans to commence construction in the summer, following the granting of planning consent for its site on Norwich Road on the eastern edge of the town.
The 88 new homes will be highly energy-efficient and sustainable, with features such as photo-voltaic solar panels, triple glazing and high insulation levels. The new houses feature an innovative design which has taken its cue from an award-winning Conran-designed development in Norwich also built by Abel Homes.
“We have read a lot in the papers recently about large developers ‘landbanking’ – sitting on parcels of land and not bringing them forward for development, even when there is a pressing need for new homes,” said Abel Homes managing director Tony Abel.
“We are not doing that – as soon as we learnt that we had gained planning permission this morning, we set to work with the contracting process, and we expect to be on site in the summer, and delivering the first new homes for Hingham early in the new year.
“It is always pleasing when a planning committee passes a proposal unanimously. It shows that we have pitched our proposals just right for the local community – something we are in a good position to do, as we live and work locally and therefore really understand Norfolk’s housing needs.”
The new homes at Hingham will feature a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom family houses, as well as a number of bungalows. Twenty-eight of the homes will be affordable homes.
As part of the plans, Abel Homes will create a public open space on the 9.1 acre site. The firm will also commission a piece of public artwork from a Norfolk artist for the site, as it does on all of its new developments.
Further details of the new homes at Hingham will be available shortly at www.abelhomes.co.uk.