Work starts on 82 new homes in swaffham

South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss has cut the first sod on a site in Swaffham where a local house builder is to build 82 new energy-efficient family homes – the first phase of a 50 acre site on the southern edge of the town, which has outline planning permission for 250 new homes.

Mrs Truss helped Tony Abel, of Abel Homes, start construction on the Swan’s Nest site on Brandon Road, where the Watton-based house builder is set to build a mixture of two-, three- and four-bedroom family homes.

As part of the development, Abel Homes will create a 5,000 square metre public open space, including a large play area.  The builder has also made a commitment to provide a piece of public artwork on every site where it builds new homes.  The site is close to the Nicholas Hamond Academy and the Swaffham Leisure Centre.

Mr Abel, managing director of Abel Homes, added, “We are delighted to be building much-needed family homes in Swaffham.  My family has been part of this town’s community for many years, so we really understand the local housing needs.

“Swaffham has a pressing need for good quality, affordable family homes, and so that is what we are building here.  But it’s not just about the bricks and mortar: we are creating a really attractive new community in the south of the town, and we have designed the new development, including a substantial public open space, to achieve that aim.”

As she climbed into an excavator to cut the first sod, Mrs Truss said, “I am really pleased to be here supporting an excellent local business which is building homes for families in Swaffham.  I am also pleased to see that the designs incorporate lots of energy-efficient technology.”

The show home is set to be open early in the new year, when the first phase of new two-, three- and four-bedroom homes will be launched onto the market.