A DEVELOPER building 310 new homes in Beggarwood has bough land opposite its flagship site for 750 more houses.

Linden Homes has announced it has successfully exchanged contracts to acquire 102 acres of land directly adjacent to its Longacre site.

Known as Hounsome Fields, the site already has outline planning consent for 750 homes, consisting of 400 private and 350 affordable properties, along with sports facilities, shops, a school and a nursery.

The housebuilder said it was keen to expand its reach and provide further homes and facilities in Basingstoke.

The firm, which recently announced its acquisition of seven further sites across the country, described the move as a significant investment for the Thames Valley region.

Andrew Hammond, divisional chairman for Linden Homes, said: “This is a notable achievement for the Thames Valley team and kick-starts the new year for the region.

“Recent land acquisitions across the country, including that of Hounsome Fields, have afforded us the opportunity to increase our volume growth as a business.

“We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality, family homes which form sustainable communities in well sought-after locations. This expansion of reach for the Thames Valley region is an excellent example of that and will help us to continue to drive the business forward in 2018.”

Located west of Winchester Road, the Hounsome Fields site is situated immediately south of Linden Homes’ 310 new homes at Longacre.

The firm feels Hounsome Fields is an attractive site as it is less than five miles from the centre of Basingstoke, and is within immediate reach of the M3 and A34.

Simon Pendlebury, managing director for Linden Homes Thames Valley, added: “This is a fantastic acquisition for Linden Homes Thames Valley and a direct representation of the continued growth and development of the region.

“Securing this site demonstrates that Linden Homes Thames Valley region is able to successfully compete for large scale housing schemes on the open market, in line with the strategic direction of the wider business.”

Linden Homes was named Developer of the Year at the 2016 New Energy and Cleantech awards in recognition of its efforts to place environmentally friendly and renewable energy features at the heart of its developments.

Work is pencilled in to start on the Hounsome Fields site in late 2018.