PLANS for the first homes to be built for the 2,700-house development near Wichelstowe will go on display at the end of this 
month. 

The first phase of the Wichelstowe development south of Swindon on the Wilts & Berks canal is currently under construction and will be completed in the spring of 2019.

And the new Canalside homes will be the first part of the development to be completed, forming the most active area on the site, being adjacent to a Waitrose supermarket, new hall and a pub which have already been finished before buyers can move in.

The site will see a new secondary school built, two primary schools, and will have a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom houses.

Councillor Gary Sumner, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for strategic planning, said: “We are making good progress on Canalside with the Wilts & Berks Canal, the new Deanery CE Academy and superb new Hall & Woodhouse pub really beginning to take shape.

“Now we have our partnership with Barratt Developments it makes perfect sense to utilise its market-leading experience to swiftly take forward the council’s three prime development sites and deliver high-quality housing that will sit perfectly alongside the district centre and 
canal. 

“We are looking forward to seeing homes for sale at Canalside next year.”

The project is being run by a joint venture company, which creates a 50/50 partnership between the council and Barratt Developments.

The decision to extend the scope of the joint venture to cover more land beside Canalside homes was also agreed by the council’s cabinet this week.

The joint venture company agrees that the council provides land and necessary infrastructure while Barratt Homes covers half the building costs, which could see the developer contributing £183m as part of the scheme.

Chris Burton, Wichelstowe Joint Venture board chair, said: “We’re delighted with the news of council’s decision. 
“It marks a significant landmark in the scheme and we will now be seeking detailed planning consent later this year.”

An exhibition showing the plans will take place in the Waitrose café on Tuesday, October 30, between 3.30pm and 7.30pm.

The development on East Wichelstowe started in 2008 and more than 1,000 homes have been built there already. 

There will be a total of 4,500 homes when the three neighbourhoods of east, middle and west Wichelstowe are all completed over the next 20 years.