St. Modwen to develop major mixed-use housing and employment scheme in Worcester

St. Modwen has formed a joint venture to develop 240 acres of land in Worcester to create a new neighbourhood of homes and employment space. The site, which sits between the newly opened Worcester Parkway station and junction 7 of the M5, is capable of delivering up to 1,250 new homes and 900,000 sq ft of modern logistics facilities, with St. Modwen acting as master developer.

St. Modwen has partnered with Merton College, Oxford, which owns the land, to develop a highly sustainable scheme that provides community, education, and convenience facilities along with housing, jobs, and green open space.  Other community and retail facilities together with a primary school will also be provided as part of the development.

The site forms part of a draft allocation for up to 10,000 new homes, 50 hectares of employment and new town centre in the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP), and St. Modwen will work with other stakeholders including local authorities, adjacent landowners and the local community to help shape plans. Mixed-tenure homes and new house styles will ensure affordable housing is delivered, while modern logistics facilities will facilitate local employment opportunities.

St. Modwen has a strong history of development in the riverside city of Worcester which has seen significant growth as a place to live and do business over the past decade. This agreement also follows a partnership struck in Cheltenham with a subsidiary of Severn Trent to develop a new residential community across 154 acres next to GCHQ as part of the area’s wider plans, known as The Golden Valley Development.

Guy Gusterson, Managing Director of Strategic Land and Regeneration at St. Modwen, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to create a new and thriving community in Worcester. Building on our proud history of development in the city, we are thrilled to be partnering with Merton College, which shares our commitment to sustainability and community, to create a destination for new homes and employment opportunities that builds on Worcester’s continued growth."

John Gloag, Estates Bursar at Merton College, Oxford, added: "This is an exciting opportunity to create a high-quality, mixed-use scheme with cutting-edge sustainability that will be a fantastic place to live and work. Merton College is delighted to be partnering with St. Modwen, which shares our sustainability ambitions, brings multi-disciplinary expertise, and has a proven track record of delivering residential and commercial together to create new communities.”