LiveWest and Vistry Partnerships get the green light for 380 new homes in Exeter

Plans to build 380 new homes at Pinhoe Quarry, Exeter, have moved a step forward after full planning permission was granted.

Homes for the South West member, LiveWest and leading regeneration specialist, Vistry Partnerships, formerly Galliford Try Partnerships, have joined forces once again to develop a scheme for the 32-acre site, building on their collaborative portfolio of new homes across the South West.

Exeter City Council’s planning committee supported officer recommendations to approve the proposed development at the former Pinhoe Quarry site on Harrington Lane.

Work is set to start in March and it is hoped the first homes will be ready to move into during December this year.

The site

The development has been named Harrington Park, nodding to the well-known area of the suburb and the design, which incorporates open green space and a pond for the new residents and existing community. The scheme is set to take around eight years to complete.

17 per cent of the development was originally earmarked for affordable housing as part of the outline planning consent, but that figure has risen to 40 per cent with the support of funding from both LiveWest and Homes England.

The proposed scheme will include a range of homes, from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom family houses, with the open market homes being sold under the Linden Homes brand.

Russell Baldwinson, Executive Director of Development at LiveWest, said:

“Together with our partners, Vistry Partnerships, we are delighted our transformational plans for Pinhoe Quarry have been given planning permission.

“Our vision is to create homes and communities that people love to live in and this is a location which definitely supports this. 

“Alongside this, our firm commitment to delivering new affordable homes in Exeter will make a huge contribution to meeting local housing needs.

LiveWest agreed to purchase the land three years ago from Pinhoe Quarry Limited – a subsidiary of Waddeton Park Limited. LiveWest then teamed up with Vistry Partnerships to turn the proposed development into a joint venture project.

Artist’s impression of the new homes at Harrington Park

Marc Thompson, Managing Director of Vistry Partnerships South West, commented:

“We are delighted with the decision by Exeter City Council in granting planning permission for this scheme which enables us to develop this fantastic new site and deliver much needed homes for local people.

“As a partnerships-focused business we look to build and establish long-term relationships that deliver true value for our clients. We are delighted to be working with our partners, LiveWest once again, changing lives and landscapes through creating sustainable new communities.”

In addition to the provision of new homes the development will contribute towards improvements in transport, education and community facilities.

Preparatory works on the site have been ongoing for the past six years to help transform what was a derelict site into what will be a new and vibrant community hub for Exeter.

The partnership between LiveWest and Vistry Partnerships which stretches back more than 10 years, has been further strengthened after it announced plans to deliver more than 2,000 new homes across the South West.

The joint venture will see a further 678 new homes built in Exeter, and a further 1,400 across the South West as part of both organisations’ drive to meet the desperate need for new housing across the region.

The success of the collaboration has seen not only new homes delivered across the region but has truly created new communities and provided value to the areas in which they work.

The partnership has delivered 156 industry short courses, 542 training weeks in a live site environment and has seen 21 learners move into full time employment within the industry.

LiveWest has also been granted permission for a second site in the city after plans were approved to develop 60 affordable homes off Ringswell Avenue. The development includes social rented and shared ownership homes, providing much needed affordable accommodation within the city.

The scheme will also provide pedestrian and cycle links through the development, linking Ringswell Avenue, Ribston Avenue and Warwick Road, and improving connectivity locally.

Financial contributions totaling £56,265 will be made towards improving education provision within the local area.