Aster strengthens its presence in Oxfordshire with more than 400 new affordable homes

Aster Group has strengthened its foothold in Oxfordshire by announcing it will deliver 409 new homes across the county.

The developer and landlord has agreed eight new Section 106 agreements across seven sites as part of its £1.5bn investment programme. This will see it build and manage 217 homes for affordable rent, 19 for social rent and 173shared ownership properties.

Aster will cement its presence in the heart of Oxfordshire by delivering 104 affordable homes at Burford Road in Witney - David Cameron’s old constituency - and 33 units at Field Close in Southmoor, both with David Wilson Homes.

The group will also further its partnership with Taylor Wimpey at the landmark Great Western Park development in Didcot, delivering 95 new homes at the 3,300-unit site. This is in addition to the 131 units announced last year with Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes.

Elsewhere in Oxfordshire, the group has exchanged contracts with Bellway to deliver 83 homes at the Station Road development in Grove, with a further 43 at Wenham Road in Thames Field. In Shrivenham, Aster has also partnered with Linden Homes to supply 27 homes at Colton Road and with Taylor Wimpey for 24 homes at Longcot Road.

Homes have already been completed at the Station Road, Wenham Road and Colton Road developments and construction has begun on six of the other sites, with units set to be delivered throughout 2018 and 2019.

Amanda Williams, group development director at Aster Group, said: “We’re determined to make sure we develop affordable homes in the communities which need it most. 

“House prices in Oxfordshire are rising at some of the fastest rates in the country and it’s essential that we make sure there is choice available to people in the area. This will help ensure that everyone can access secure housing and contribute to the economic growth of the area.”

These schemes are the latest step in Aster’s expansion across the south, following its announcement earlier in the year that the group will deliver more than 250 homes across Hampshire and Surrey.

In the year to the end of March 2017, Aster delivered 829 homes across the south of England in a range of tenures. The group increased pre-tax profits by 29% to £44m on record revenues of £191m (+7%).