Bath-based housing and support organisation Curo has formed a strategic partnership with one of the country’s leading housebuilders to build hundreds of homes at Mulberry Park, Bath’s former Foxhill MoD site.
National developers Bellway will work alongside Curo’s housebuilding team to enhance the construction process on the 48-acre development which will eventually have 700 homes. 
The agreement came ahead of the official launch of the development yesterday by housing minister Brandon Lewis.
Curo housebuilding division managing director Gerraint Oakley said: “We’re delighted to be working with Bellway to ensure that this development of new homes in Bath is completed as quickly as possible.
“Partnering with Bellway ensures we can deliver quality, contemporary housing in this outstanding location while minimising the impact on the surrounding area.
Bellway South West division sales manager Tim Lund added: “As well as homes for market sale, Mulberry Park will provide many much-needed affordable homes for local families. “We’re very pleased to be working alongside Curo to provide much-needed new homes in Bath, and we’re proud to be a part of what will become a landmark site in the city.
“Bath is a beautiful place and an extremely popular location for home-hunters. The development itself is ideally located within easy reach of the city centre and Bath Spa station.
“There is a shortage of new homes in the area, and the range of house types available at Mulberry Park will help to solve this requirement whilst allowing homebuyers to choose a home that best suits their needs.
“We’re looking forward to starting work at Mulberry Park in the near future and to see this development start to take shape.”
Curo, a not-for-profit housing and support organisation which owns more than 12,000 homes across the South West, bought the brownfield site in 2013.
It has since worked closely with Bath & North East Somerset Council and the local community to develop plans for 700 homes as well as a new school, retail space and community facilities. The council unanimously granted outline planning consent for the scheme last year.
As lead developer, Curo will ensure a high quality of design and construction is maintained across the whole scheme.
With two developers on site, local people will have a greater choice of homes to buy or rent. Affordable homes will be built across Mulberry Park by each of the housebuilders. All homes for affordable rent will be owned and managed by Curo.
Mulberry Park will also include a new primary school, community hub and open spaces.
Last year the Government designated Mulberry Park as a Housing Zone – one of 19 across the UK – giving it more than £300,000 of extra funding from central government designed to accelerate the delivery of housing.
Yesterday housing and planning minister Brandon Lewis visited the site to perform a ground-breaking ceremony with Curo chief executive Victor da Cunha, Bath MP Ben Howlett and B&NES cabinet member for homes & planning Liz Richardson.
Mr Lewis also toured the site and heard about the vision Curo has for the area.
Mr da Cunha said “After three years of consultations and discussions with local people and Bath & North East Somerset Council, it’s exciting to see work finally start on the Mulberry Park development.
“When Curo bought the former MoD site in 2013 we had a vision not just for the vacant land but the wider Foxhill community.
“We did not want to see a private developer come in and build a separate community. At Curo we want all local people to share the social and economic benefits of the regeneration.
“The new housing, school and community facilities at Mulberry Park, combined with our ambitions to regenerate part of the existing Foxhill estate, will enable us to provide quality homes that meet people’s needs now and in the future.
“The scheme will also help create an integrated community with improved transport and infrastructure.”
Pictured below at the Mulberry Park ground-breaking, from left: Curo chief executive Victor da Cunha, housing minister Brandon Lewis and Bath MP Ben Howlett. Above, artist’s impression of town houses at Mulberry Park
