The Buckland Group has secured funding to complete the first phase of the Welborne Garden Village project in Hampshire, paving the way for 616 new, energy-efficient homes.
The £54million financing package from Lloyds, provided to Buckland Group for its joint venture partnerships with CG Fry, Pye Homes, and Thakeham, is a sustainable development loan in recognition of the housebuilders’ Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) plans for the development.
Construction of the homes started in May 2024, and the financing package will facilitate the pathway into the next phase and help to create a new community of 6,000 energy-efficient homes, integrated with extensive, publicly accessible green space.
The Buckland Group’s sustainable garden village will span 1,000 acres in total, and it aims to create a thriving place to live, work and play. Welborne Garden Village will include its own community infrastructure, including a primary school and nursery, shops and cafes, business premises, a GP surgery, playgrounds and public transport, alongside parks and open spaces.
As the development grows, there are plans to add three further primary schools and a secondary school, healthcare, sports and leisure facilities and a range of retailers. A commercial district will be home to a new science and technology park with a range of office space and light industrial units for SMEs. In total, one million square feet of employment space is planned, providing local employment and driving sustainable economic prosperity.
The project also includes the installation of the UK’s largest water-source low-carbon heating and cooling network. The stable temperatures of the ground water drawn via a local reservoir enable this innovative and leading technology to deliver heating, hot water and cooling, more sustainably and economically with 90% lower household CO₂ emissions than gas boilers and 50% less than air source heat pumps.
Mark Thistlethwayte, chairman of Buckland Group, said: “Lloyds’ backing marks another milestone in delivering on our vision to create a thriving new community where people will still want to live in 100 years’ time. This support enables us to continue to fund the construction of phase one homes, together with our award-winning housebuilder partners. This financing package is part of the ongoing model for delivering Welborne in the years to come.”
Jess Tomlinson, managing director of real estate & housing for Lloyds, said: “Our investment in this ground-breaking project underscores our commitment to supporting the creation of much-needed housing. Buckland Group has gone a step further and is creating an innovative, sustainable new community. We are proud to support its unified long-term vision.”