Deal signed to bring new urban village to Gloucester creating hundreds of affordable homes

The homes will be built on derelict land at St Oswald’s Park, the site of the former Gloucester Cattle Market which has laid dormant for years.

The scheme, which has been backed by £2.2 million from the government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund, will see a third of the houses available for private sale and a third set aside for social rent, with the remaining portion sold under shared ownership.

The community’s views will be sought on the proposals for the 300 new homes before being presented to planners. Proposals will be in keeping with the council and Rooftop’s commitment to their environmental responsibilities, in terms of the construction methods used and the energy efficiency of the new homes.

The development will also have a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) that takes account of biodiversity, water quality and flooding.

In line with the council’s social value policy, it’s intended that benefits from the development which will see over £30 million invested, will be spread throughout local communities through jobs, training opportunities and community projects.

Councillor Stephanie Chambers, cabinet member for Planning and Housing Strategy at Gloucester City Council, said: “We are committed to increasing the number of affordable homes in the city and this is a huge step forward in achieving that. The brainchild of my predecessor Cllr Andrew Gravells, the majority of this development will provide affordable homes for our community, with a mixture of social and affordable rented homes, and shared ownership homes along with some private housing. This will help to create a mixed and balanced community. We are confident that by working with Rooftop not only will we be able to increase the supply of homes available for local people but also make sure they are of a high quality and sustainable as well.”

Richard Graham, MP for Gloucester, said: “This agreement between our City Council and Rooftop for 300 homes at St Oswald’s is the biggest new brownfield development in Gloucester for a decade - helped by the largest single allocation of government funding for brownfield sites.

“The St Oswald’s development takes approvals on brownfield sites to over 1,000 homes since 2021 and shows Gloucester’s ambitions for new homes, affordable housing, and regeneration.

“It’s also Rooftop’s largest ever development and I congratulate them and Gloucester City Council on this partnership - which I’ve strongly encouraged from day one. Now to get on and deliver.”

Rooftop’s Group Chief Executive, Boris Worrall said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to invest in the City of Gloucester, a city that’s thriving with the redevelopment of the Docks and the Kings Quarter. We are delighted to be playing our part as a regional Housing Association, with the support of Homes England, to place our resources right in the heart of where we work, to provide energy efficient homes for the people of Gloucester and beyond. We look forward to early engagement with the local community on the design of this new development.”