Contract signed with housing developer at Oxfordshire site

The developer behind the major Wellington Gate development near Wantage and a local housing association have marked their deal to deliver homes on the site.

Persimmon Homes Wessex met with CBRE Investment Management (CBRE IM), Airey Miller, and Pinnacle Group, who will be the registered provider at the site, at the site to celebrate the exchange of contracts on 35 properties on the seventh phase of the development.

They were joined by Cllr Emily Smith, Vale of White Horse District Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning.

All 35 of the properties, which is on the site of the former Grove Airfield, will be for affordable rent. This tranche of homes on Phase Seven is CBRE IM/Pinnacle’s fourth acquisition on this site, and they are working with Persimmon to deliver 158 affordable homes across the development.

The news comes not long after Persimmon announced it was seeking outline planning application to bring up to 624 high-quality, new homes to land adjacent to its existing site. Persimmon already has outline permission for up to 1,500 homes on the old airfield.

Alongside the new homes, Persimmon has delivered a primary school, with sport pitches due to be handed over this year as part of the new sustainable community. Construction has also already commenced on the secondary school that form part of the overall plans.

The accredited five-star housebuilder currently has two, three, and four-bed homes for sale from £284,995 at its Wellington Gate site. Persimmon recently held a consultation on what the community would like from the local hub the developer will be delivering on-site, and is seeking planning permission to deliver hundreds of more homes for local people on-site.

Cllr Emily Smith, Vale of White Horse District Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning said:

“These modern homes to be made available at affordable rent and built with sustainability in mind, making a good contribution to improving housing availability in the Vale, which is a huge focus of our work.

“Their eco features, such as solar panels and air source heat pumps, will also help to keep energy bills as low as possible for the new residents.”

Seb Spiller, Managing Director of Persimmon Homes Wessex, added:

“We’re delighted to have finalised the latest agreement with CBRE IM and Pinnacle to deliver the latest tranche of affordable homes at our site in Wantage.

“Wellington Gate is a major scheme that is delivering homes for many local families, and the latest proportion reserved for housing associations is a key part of our broader goal to create a positive and lasting legacy wherever we build.

“Persimmon looks forward to building on our partnership with CBRE IM and Pinnacle as well as high-quality homes for local people.”

Oliver Miller – Director of Rental at Pinnacle Group, commented:

“Pinnacle has a strong track record of delivering high-quality, well-managed homes.

“We are delighted to incorporate these properties into our portfolio, not only providing new affordable housing for the residents of Wantage, Grove, and the wider area but, also helping to create a community that people are proud to call home.

Andrew Davey, Fund Manager, CBRE UK Affordable Housing Fund at CBRE Investment Management – also said:

“CBRE Investment Management is very pleased to have been part of this agreement that will deliver homes to meet local housing needs in the Vale of White Horse district.

“This aligns with the strategy of our UK Affordable Housing Fund—delivering both financial returns alongside measurable social impact through investments in high-quality, affordable housing across the UK.

“We have an excellent relationship already with both Persimmon and Pinnacle and look forward to future opportunities to work together to meet that goal of increasing affordable housing provision in Oxfordshire.”

Tom Cook, Director at Airey Miller – also said:

“Airey Miller is delighted to once more be supporting the innovative partnership between CBRE Investment Management, Pinnacle, and Persimmon Homes in delivering affordable homes at Wellington Gate.

“The fourth and latest phase recently contracted means a total of 158 affordable homes will be delivered by CBRE UK Affordable Housing Fund on this important strategic development.”