The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and regeneration specialist St. Modwen have signed a development agreement which gives the green light to start work on the first phase of housing at the former RAF Locking site, near Weston-super-Mare.

The agreement confirms St. Modwen as the HCA's official development partner for the site, and includes plans to deliver 100 new homes by mid 2013. Forty of these will be private homes, 30 will be affordable and a further 30 will be available to buy or part own through the HomeBuy Direct scheme. Work is expected to start on site in spring 2011 and the homes will be marketed from next summer. This phase of development will also deliver 6,000 sq ft of office space and provide serviced plots for the future development of a 14,000 sq ft office building and a 30,000 sq ft Innovation Centre.

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RAF Locking, renamed Locking Parklands, was acquired by the South West RDA in 2002 following the closure of RAF Locking as a training base in 1998, with the HCA taking ownership of the site early this year. St. Modwen was chosen as preferred developer for the site in October 2008. The regeneration of the 200 acre site, when complete, is set to create up to 2,000 new jobs in 450,000 sq ft of high quality business space, and provide up to 1,500 new homes as well as community and retail facilities. The development is a long-term project that is expected to take more than 20 years to complete.

Rupert Joseland, South West Regional Director for St. Modwen, said: "Signing this agreement signals the start of work on the site which will be transformed into a high quality business and residential community within the next 20 years. In the current climate, we are delighted to have secured funding to progress this important scheme and are working closely with the HCA to create a vibrant, sustainable mixed-use community with a library, schools and leisure facilities to benefit the wider community for years to come."

(CD/GK)