“Excellent progress” made at Hurst & Hurst Estates Ltd’s development of 46 homes at Church Lane, Sway
MORE details have been revealed as a multi-million pound scheme to build 46 new Forest homes – half of which will be affordable – gets underway.
The scheme is for land at Church Lane, Sway, which had been used for agricultural purposes and is being developed with a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom properties.
The plans by Hurst & Hurst Estates Ltd were unanimously backed by the national park authority's planning committee in 2022, despite opposition from locals and the parish council.
“Excellent progress” is said to have been made at the site, which is included in the national park authority’s Local Plan. All roads and mains drainage are complete, a spokesperson confirmed, and foundation works are finished on nearly all plots. The first homes are expected to be ready in mid-2025.
Hurst & Hurst Estates, in partnership with Barwood Capital (Barwood) and Close Brothers Property Finance, says the project’s gross development value is £13.5m.
Founder and managing director of the development firm, Hector Hurst, said: “We’re very excited to be progressing at speed through the build phase of this landmark site, partnered once more with Barwood. Being the most substantial development allowed in this area of the New Forest in many years, we’re thrilled to be able to showcase our quality on such a prestigious stage.”
The homes will be built to a high specification and will incorporate a range of energy efficient measures including air source heat pumps, EV charging points, and wastewater heat recovery.
In addition to a “substantial” amount of open green space, biodiversity at the site will be further enhanced by native planting, bat and bird boxes, and hibernacula, including log piles.
As reported in the A&T, Sway Parish Council was against the development and claimed issues around road safety, insufficient parking, poor design and housing density had not been addressed.
The initial application prompted 44 letters of objection from local people raising concerns about the design, safety of the junction, parking, the housing mix and plans for green space.
Following amendments, a further 29 objections where received, including eight from people who had not commented before.
Described as “the most significant development in the village for a generation”, the plans were unanimously recommended for permission by the NPA's planning committee.
