New homes snapshot – The will of buyers encourages new builds in Stratford-upon-Avon
Extremely popular as a tourist destination, Stratford-upon-Avon is also a desirable place to live, with demand for homes and a shortfall of supply keeping house prices and rents high.
Nearly five million people visit the town annually as they come to tread the same streets as William Shakespeare, who died in the town 400 years ago. This dwarfs the population of around 28,000. The appeal of the town lies in its mix of its heritage buildings and attractions with a range of modern amenities and good transport links to London, Birmingham and the Midlands as a whole.
The district council is working through plans to build 11,300 homes in and around the town between 2011 and 2031, around 565 homes every year. There is recognition that there is a particular shortfall of affordable homes, leading to the younger population having to move away to less expensive areas.
Plans include building around 35% of homes as ‘affordable’, less than open market value. Against a record of just over 1,100 affordable homes in the decade to March 2014, some 650 were planned for the following three years alone.
As with many areas, the long-term housing strategy here is often fraught with problems relating to where homes should be built and what mix is needed. Some areas have been established, though, for example the former Long Marston airfield, about five miles south-west of the town, which is planned to have 2,100 built on it in the coming years.
New homes currently for sale in Stratford-upon-Avon:
To the south of Stratford and close to the edge of the Cotswolds, Persimmon Homes is currently offering two-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom houses from £160,000 at Marston Grange. There is a range of initiatives available to buyers. Look out for the developer’s Home of the Week for special offers that could save a substantial sum on moving in.
Close by, Charles Church Development is providing a range of four-bedroom homes from £325,000 at Meon View. At just five miles from the centre of the town, they are within easy reach of its shops and amenities, as well as those in other towns such as Alcester and Evesham. Help to Buy and Part Exchange are available to buyers here.
The same housebuilder is constructing a whole range of homes with from two to five bedrooms at Milestone Grange, with current availability from £239,995. Set off the Banbury Road, these homes are a short journey into the town centre..
Close to here, but subject to planning permission, Ortus Homes, the lifestyle brand of retirement living specialists McCarthy & Stone, is aiming to build a development of contemporary apartments for buyers of 55 or older, combining stylish design with a sophisticated internal specification. The one- and two-bedroom homes will be overseen by a facilities manager, making them a perfect ‘lock-up-and-leave’ option for older purchasers.
Coming soon in Shottery, in the south-west corner of Stratford, Taylor Wimpey’s Midsummer Park will comprise a collection of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes. Located about two miles from the heart of the town, these new homes are scheduled to go on sale (and prices revealed) in around two months.
A little further north in Bishopton is Stratford Leys, with a range of properties from Bovis Homes starting at £309,995. This mix of three- and four-bedroom houses is just a few minutes’ walk from Stratford Parkway station, with services to Birmingham, Leamington Spa and London Marylebone.
A show home is now open to view at Bellway’s Hathaway Gardens. There’s a spectrum of homes on offer here, from £260,750, with everything from two-bedroom starter homes to five-bedroom executive houses. There’s a good range of schools in the locality and Stratford in general.
Most of the properties at High Cedars in Shottery have been sold by developer Spitfire off-plan, but it is worth contacting them about the individually and traditionally designed homes left at this village on the outskirts of town.