WORK will soon begin on new homes near Basingstoke hospital after the council transferred a parcel of land.

The site, off the A340 known as the Aldermaston Road Triangle, has been sold to developer Bovis Homes, having recently been granted planning permission for housing development.

As part of the development, 90 new houses will be built on the site, with 36 being made available for affordable housing, to include shared ownership and affordable rented properties for local residents.

Of the new dwellings, 62 will be houses and 28 will be flats. Construction on site should begin in the coming months.

As part of the overall development scheme, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council transferred a piece of land from the Triangle site to Hampshire County Council, to help facilitate local highway improvements on the A340.

The £4million road scheme, which was completed last year, was granted Government funding and was supported by developer contributions. Further developer contributions have been sought to improve local infrastructure and community facilities.

Cabinet member for property and development, Cllr John Izett said: “This is a good example of the borough council using surplus land to enable the building of the new homes needed by local people.

“By dedicating a small section of the Triangle site to Hampshire County Council, we have also been able to help secure an important highway scheme to improve traffic flow and safety.

“The sale proceeds have contributed significantly to the council’s budget, so we can continue investing in projects to benefit our residents and maintain valued council services.

Jon Wheeler, land director for Bovis Homes’ Thames Valley region said the company is ‘delighted to have completed the purchase of this land’.