Bargate Homes has launched its 34-acre Rivercross development in the Hampshire village of Warsash. The £128million project will create a new community of 352 eco-focused family homes less than a mile from the world-famous Warsash Maritime Academy.
Outline planning permission for the expansive development was granted in February 2021, with the detailed Reserved Matters applications being considered subsequently for each of the scheme’s five phases.
Acclaimed architects and masterplanners, Pegasus, were enlisted by Bargate Homes to ensure that Rivercross fully complements Warsash’s array of traditional residential properties, reflecting the two-storey Victorian houses and cottage-style dwellings found locally.
New public open spaces will be created across each phase of development, enhancing the character of the area, and delivering both recreational and ecological benefits. Green buffer zones will be created around the edge of the development to protect existing on-site ecology and retain and enhance local wildlife corridors. There will also be extensive native tree and shrub planting to benefit local bird populations, and specific ‘green corridors’ created for the local reptile populace. Bat and bird boxes will be installed within the walls of new dwellings.
Bargate Homes is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vivid, Hampshire’s largest provider of affordable homes, and 40% of the new Rivercross community will be purpose-built for Vivid for shared ownership and affordable rent. The scheme will feature two, three and four-bedroom semi-detached and detached family houses, with the first homes available for occupation in early 2023.
Mark White, managing director of Bargate Homes, said: “We are immensely privileged to be delivering this outstanding new development, providing much-needed new family homes. Located at the point where the River Hamble meets Southampton Water, Rivercross is one of the most prized and picturesque major developments currently being undertaken across the whole of the UK.”
“This £128million project has been in the planning and meticulous pre-construction stage for over four years. Extensive consultation with Fareham Borough Council, Hampshire County Council, a variety of additional stakeholders, and local people, has taken place during that time to ensure the benefits this scheme will deliver to the maritime community are fully maximised. Creating new habitats for local wildlife and delivering net biodiversity gains are key characteristics of the design-led scheme.”
“Work on-site is progressing well and we are looking forward to unveiling Rivercross to the public for the first time in early 2023.”
The homes at Rivercross will have a high EPC rating, ensuring future residents can significantly lower their carbon footprint and benefit from energy savings. Google Nest learning thermostats, electric vehicle car chargers, and fibre broadband will also be installed as standard.
