Bellway to regenerate former brickworks to create sustainable new community in Midhurst

Bellway is set to start demolition works on the site of a former brickworks and council depot in Midhurst which will be transformed into an attractive development of new sustainable homes.

There will be 69 homes at Thornley Grange, off Bepton Road in the West Sussex town.

The northern part of the site was a brickworks from 1913 to 1985 and has remained as industrial land, with the southern part of the site used as a West Sussex County Council depot.

Bellway purchased the land earlier this month (August) with full planning consent already in place.

The new community has been designed to complement the neighbouring woodland at Midhurst Common. The development will feature a central green copse area and existing mature trees will be protected and enhanced.

Bellway has paid £100,000 to improve Midhurst Common and a further £12,660 to enhance wildlife habitats ahead of starting work on the site in September.

Matt Hoad, land and planning director for Bellway South London, said: “Thornley Grange will enhance this area of the South Downs National Park, replacing derelict industrial buildings with a sustainable new development.

“The homes have been designed to reflect the architecture of buildings in Midhurst, including the many listed properties. This has created some intricate detailing within the elevations of the various house types.

“In addition to funding enhancements to the nearby woodland, Thornley Grange will help to satisfy the need for more new homes in this sought-after town.

“Demolition works will begin in the coming weeks and we look forward to creating an outlook that is much more fitting with these stunning surroundings than the industrial buildings which Thornley Grange will replace.”

Bellway will build 44 homes for private sale, which will be two, three and four-bedroom houses. There will be 25 affordable homes, including one and two-bedroom apartments for low-cost rent and two and three-bedroom houses for shared ownership.

The homes will feature electrical car charging points to encourage sustainable transport. There will also be a ‘Hedgehog Highways’ scheme, creating routes for hedgehogs to travel between gardens alongside bird, bat and dormouse boxes and wildlife habitats to enhance biodiversity at the development.

Bellway South London has invested in communities across West Sussex, with work currently progressing on new homes developments at Indigo Park in Chichester, Elizabeth Square in Goring-by-Sea, Riverbrook Place in Crawley, Abingworth Fields in Thakeham, and Fallow Wood View in Burgess Hill. For more information see https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/south-london.