NEW affordable homes have been handed over to local people at Spyway Orchard, Langton Matravers.

The homes have been built using grant funding from Homes England, and delivered in partnership with Dorset Council, local housing association Aster Group and developer Countryside Partnerships.

All the homes at Spyway Orchard have been allocated to residents from Langton Matravers or those with a strong connection to the area or the surrounding rural parishes, via the Dorset Housing Register.

Similarly, the shared ownership homes have been snapped up by local and Dorset residents.

Cllr Graham Carr-Jones, Dorset Council lead member for housing said: “It’s great to see this development providing new homes for local people in Langton Matravers.

“Affordable housing makes a significant difference to people’s lives and Dorset Council is working on several affordable schemes across the council area, supporting communities and providing homes for households with a need for local housing.”

The development is a mix of one-bed flats as well as two-, three- and four-bedroom houses, built in locally sourced stone in a traditional style to reflect the Purbeck character.

Amanda Williams, chief investment officer at Aster, said: “Local residents across the South-West are being squeezed out of the area by the rise of holiday short-term lets.

“In Langton Matravers the average house price has broken through the half million mark at a staggering £555,000.

“We’re therefore delighted to be able to hand over 28 sets of keys to the new residents moving into the affordable homes at Spyway Orchard from the village and surrounding parishes.

“The mix of homes will cater to a range of people enabling them to continue living in an area they love, close to family and friends.”

Phil Farminer, managing director of Countryside Partnerships Southern, said: “We are delighted to have worked in partnership with Aster and Dorset Council to deliver these wonderful new homes.

“Spyway Orchard is a fantastic development providing local people with affordable housing opportunities across both rental and shared ownership tenures.”

The site, which is also an Ecological Enhancement Area, includes bat boxes, bird boxes, bee bricks and a ‘hedgehog highway’ which provides gaps in the fencing between gardens to allow hedgehogs to move freely.