Work has started on the Carter’s Green development in Swaffham. Pictured at front are Abode Construction managing director Grant Keys, left, and Flagship Homes managing director Tony Tann. Also picture, on left, iM2 senior health and safety consultant Laura Baxter, Summers Inman quantity surveyor Sam Fisher, Flagship Homes head of partnerships and delivery Anna Cook-Bacon, Abode contracts manager Rob Bishop, senior project manager Oleg Barsoukov and delivery manager James Ollington, both from Flagship Homes. On right, Flagship Homes shared ownership sales manager Danny McLeod, construction director Adrian Peacock and site manager Olly Thompson, both from Abode, and Coppice Consult director Paul Pitcher.
Work has begun on a new affordable housing development in Swaffham.
Flagship Homes – part of not-for-profit housing provider Bromford Flagship – is building 51 homes at the Carter’s Green development off New Sporle Road in the north of the town.
Thirty-one of the homes will be for affordable rent, allocated to people on Breckland’s local housing register. The other 20 will be for Shared Ownership – a scheme which allows people to gradually buy their home while paying rent on the remaining share.
Flagship Homes Managing Director Tony Tann joined project team members at a turf-cutting ceremony to officially mark the start of work at the two-hectare site.
Flagship Homes’ Carter’s Green project will bring 51 affordable homes to Swaffham. Pictured from left are James Ollington, Danny McLeod, Tony Tann, Oleg Barsoukov and Anna Cook-Bacon.
Mr Tann said: “We want Swaffham to keep being a place where people of different ages and incomes can put down roots and plan for the future. Carter’s Green will help make that possible by offering homes that are genuinely affordable and laid out to support a strong, connected community.”
The homes will be arranged around a main cul-de-sac and smaller side roads, with a children’s play area and public open space alongside New Sporle Road. There will be more green space and trees planted towards the end of the cul-de-sac, and a new public footpath will link the homes to Tumbler Hill.
All homes will feature air source heat pumps and solar panels. Existing hedgerows will be kept and bat boxes and bird boxes will be built into the homes.
Long Stratton-based builder Abode Construction is the principal contractor on the project, which has been part-funded by Homes England. Abode Managing Director Grant Keys said: “We’re proud to be working with Flagship on this project and providing affordable homes to local people. This will be an attractive neighbourhood and a great place to live, and we’re focused on delivering it to the highest standard.”
At the Carter’s Green development in Swaffham are, from left, Laura Baxter, Sam Fisher, Oleg Barsoukov, Adrian Peacock and Olly Thompson.
Other partners on the project include the consultancies Summers-Inman, Coppice Consult and iM2.
Laura Baxter, Senior Health and Safety Consultant at iM2, said: “iM2 is delighted to be supporting Flagship on this landmark residential development. Acting as CDM principal designer, we have worked closely with Flagship to review site constraints, collate key survey and site information, and guide the design teams on safety-in-design considerations.
From the very beginning, it has been a pleasure to support Flagship and see this scheme come to life. With construction now underway, we continue to collaborate with Abode Construction to ensure these new homes meet the highest standards for quality and safety, creating spaces that the community can be proud of.”
The development will include 12 one-bedroom maisonettes, 28 two-bedroom houses, eight three-bedroom houses and three four-bedroom houses.
The first homes at Carter’s Green are expected to be finished by spring 2027.
Who can buy a shared ownership home?
Shared ownership could work for you if these three points apply:
- It will be your main home – not a second property or investment
- You’ve got some money coming in – whether that’s savings, equity from another property, or regular earnings – but buying outright on the open market is still out of reach
- Your household income is £80,000 or less per year
The minimum starting share for the shared ownership homes at Carter’s Green is 10%, and buyers will be able to staircase up to 100%.
Check if you’re eligible using the government’s online tool here, or find out more about buying through shared ownership with Flagship here.