Case studies

“When A2Dominion purchased the site of the old Brooklands College in Ashford, Surrey, it undertook an ambitious project to bring high-quality new affordable homes to an area that desperately needed them. Offering these genuinely affordable options to both renters and people looking to buy for the first time, transforming the heart of the town into an attractive public realm, and enhancing the greenspace around it, is a great example of how a modern housing association can support communities through its work.”

Simon Potts, Director of Land and Planning at A2Dominion

Overview of the development

The development comprises of 357 homes in total, of which 236 (66%) are for shared ownership, 73 (20%) for market rent, and 48 (14%) for affordable rent.

In total there are four studio apartments, 121 one-bed, 222 two-bed, and 10 three-bed shared ownership homes.

Background

A2Dominion has played a huge part in making this exceptional housing development accessible for those looking to take their first step onto the housing ladder, however they are planning to do it. Originally planning permission for the site was granted to a commercial housebuilder, with only 32 of the 357 homes (9%) as affordable housing and the remainder for private sale.

When A2Dominion purchased the site, it undertook extensive research into local needs and quickly identified that it would lend itself to an affordable rent, shared ownership and market rent development. As a result, 236 properties (66%) are now being offered for shared ownership, which is a perfect way for people to enter the world of home ownership, even under today’s challenging circumstances.

Local impact

To put this into the context of Spelthorne, there are currently only 350 shared ownership properties under construction across the whole borough, meaning this development is providing around 70% of new shared ownership homes for the whole of Spelthorne. It was only A2Dominion’s foresight and commitment to providing flexible, affordable options to people that made this possible.

Delivering 357 properties across five phases, with the shared ownership properties marketed under A2Dominion’s FABRICA brand, Brooklands Park is the perfect development for the Surrey town of Ashford, which is popular with young professionals and families due to its excellent transport links and attractive surroundings.

Prices start from around £100,000 with only a 5% deposit necessary, placing them in the genuinely affordable bracket for a desirable commuter town in Surrey. In addition to this, great care has been taken to ensure the percentage sales offer flexible options to suit a range of income levels.

Sustainable strategy

There is a commitment to retaining and even enhancing the site’s existing biodiversity; through features including a green boundary to retain and protect the native wildlife’s habitats and a large street tree planting project.

All of this work on sustainability is not only the right thing for a responsible housing association and builder to do, it also makes the development more attractive for new owners, who tend to be more ecologically aware professionals who see these features as very desirable in a prospective new home.

Flexible transport options

A big part of the appeal of Brooklands Park is its location. It is a short six minute-walk to Ashford train station, with regular and direct services reaching London Waterloo within 38 minutes. It’s even quicker to Richmond (16 minutes) and Clapham Junction (27 minutes). By foot, residents can easily walk to the nearby Bedfont Lakes Country Park in just 20 minutes.