Aster Group has started work on its largest ever land-led development – a 169-home regeneration project on a brownfield site in the Bargates area of Christchurch, Dorset.
The development will transform disused land into a new neighbourhood, offering a diverse range of housing options. This includes 23 homes for affordable rent, 15 available through shared ownership and 39 age-restricted sheltered accommodation units designed to support older residents.
In addition, the scheme will provide 77 homes for purchase on the open market, alongside 15 available for a discounted price.
The development also features 44,000 sq ft of landscaped gardens both private and communal, designed with native planting to support local wildlife. The scheme includes 185 parking spaces and adaptable commercial and community-use units.
As part of the development, over £1million will be contributed through the section 106 agreement towards education, highways works and improvements to existing local open public spaces.
The first phase of construction includes building the main access road, installing essential infrastructure across the site and beginning foundational work, with the first completions expected in summer 2026.
Amanda Williams, chief investment officer at Aster Group, said: “Bargates represents a perfect example of how unlocking disused and underutilised brownfield sites can deliver developments catered to the acute needs of local communities.”
“Taking a diversified approach to housing delivery is fundamental to tackling the housing crisis in a meaningful way. By combining a land-led model with a healthy section 106 programme, we’re able to retain greater control over how developments like Bargates are shaped and ensure resilience in what remains a complex economic environment.”
Aster, which owns and manages over 37,000 homes, built 984 new properties in the year to the end of March 2025, including 156 homes for social rent, 327 for affordable rent and 380 for shared ownership. The housing association also delivered more than 150 homes through joint venture partnerships with national housebuilder Vistry Homes and West Sussex-based developer Thakeham.
