We set to work to find a solution that would work for the whole community

North Stoneham Park comprises some 120 acres set on the outskirts of Eastleigh within an area bordered by Chestnut Avenue, Stoneham Way and Home Wood. Our plans to develop a multi-million pound, mixed-use, residential project on this site were overwhelmingly backed by Eastleigh and Test Valley Borough Councils who share the administrative boundary on which the land sits.

The Highwood Land team identified a need for Eastleigh Borough Council to deliver some 3000 new homes, including affordable homes and those that met the needs of older residents within its next Local Plan, so we set to work to find a suitable solution. The North Stoneham Park project would, when complete, deliver in excess of 1100 new homes for the community.

Planning success was the result of close collaboration with both councils

We identified four potential sites within the borough, including North Stoneham Park – a site with multiple landowners, including two local authorities, and an acquisition we knew would prove a challenging undertaking. The most significant issue was the sports pitches that occupied a large area of land within the site.

However, we devised a strategy that entailed the Highwood team working alongside Sport England to agree a suitable approach to our plan. Our solution was to acquire additional land close by and to deliver a completely new sports hub that would not only replace the existing grounds, but create marvellous sporting facilities for the local community to enjoy.

Public exhibitions were held to ensure local residents could contribute

The success of the planning application was the result of close collaboration with both Councils regarding housing need and county conservationists to ensure any concerns regarding sustainability and the protection of the site’s historic areas were addressed. A series of public exhibitions were held to give local residents the opportunity to contribute their views to the project.

Potential fears about the project’s impact on the local road network were allayed by plans to upgrade local highway junctions, create a new road to serve the development and ease the traffic flows on Stoneham Lane and the M27 junctions.

Solving the area’s housing shortfall identified in the Council’s five-year plan

Outline planning permission was duly obtained for the project and three key planning applications were subsequently granted by Eastleigh Council’s Planning Committee. The Stage Two application referred to 514 dwellings, Stage Three for 39 and Stage Four sought approval for 18 new homes; all applications representing a significant chapter in this remarkable new community’s progress.

These new homes will include a stunning range of one to five-bedroom beautiful apartments and houses that will solve the area’s housing shortfall as identified in the Council’s five-year plan. The project will also answer the call for affordable housing in the area, with a generous 35% allocation given by Highwood to affordable homes.

So much more to discover about this exciting project

The construction phase for the first stage of this exciting development officially began with Eastleigh Mayor, Councillor Mo Sollitt, breaking the first ground on an area along Stoneham Lane earlier in October.

To find out more about this exciting project, please visit our North Stoneham Park pages and for more information about the history of the development, please read more at landsouthofchestnutavenue.co.uk

North Stoneham Park: A video case study

Watch our film to see how we delivered this landmark project, from concept to completion.

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