Vistry has agreed three partnership deals with housing provider Abri to deliver 314 affordable homes across developments in Bristol, Weston-super-Mare and Templecombe.
The agreements include 130 affordable homes at The Fosseway in Hengrove, south Bristol, 114 affordable homes at Locking Parklands, a Homes England-led regeneration site on the edge of Weston-super-Mare, and 70 affordable homes at Manor Farm in Templecombe, Somerset.
The partnership aims to increase the supply of high-quality affordable homes across the South West, supporting a mix of social rent, shared ownership and other affordable tenures to meet local housing needs.
Susan Scholfield, Regional Managing Director of Vistry Bristol, said: “These agreements mark another important milestone in our partnership with Abri and will deliver 314 affordable homes across three key South West sites. From regenerating brownfield land in Bristol to supporting the next phases of Locking Parklands and creating a new mixed-tenure community in Templecombe, each development demonstrates the strength of partnership-led delivery and our shared commitment to providing high-quality homes where they are needed most.”
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Abri will develop 214 of the affordable homes at The Fosseway and Locking Parklands with grant funding support from Homes England, alongside its own investment to help make the homes affordable. The affordable homes at Manor Farm will be delivered through a joint venture arrangement, supported by partner investment rather than grant funding.
Sally Ingham, Director of Development at Abri, said: “These homes will make a real difference for people across the South West, providing more opportunities for individuals and families to access affordable housing in communities where they can thrive. Through our partnership with Vistry, we’re helping to meet local housing need while creating places that support long-term well-being and opportunity. This commitment also supports our ambition to deliver 20,000 homes by 2036, ensuring more people have access to a safe, secure home.”
At The Fosseway, Vistry has signed a further agreement with Abri for 65 affordable homes, meaning 130 affordable homes at the development are now being delivered in partnership with Abri. The 8.3-acre brownfield site on New Fosseway Road is being brought forward through a joint venture between Vistry and Goram Homes, Bristol City Council’s housing company, and will also sit alongside a development of 70 affordable extra care homes delivered by Anchor.
Stephen Baker, Managing Director at Goram Homes, said: “We’re delighted this deal with Abri will secure all 130 homes in Phase One of The Fosseway as affordable housing. It’s a great example of how strong partnerships between developers, housing associations and the public sector can deliver much-needed homes for local communities.”
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“The Fosseway is one of several major developments we’re delivering with Vistry across Bristol, alongside One Lockleaze, The Brooklands and, most recently, Phase One of the 1,435-home Hengrove Park masterplan. Our partnership enables us to bring forward high-quality, mixed-tenure (around 50% affordable) neighbourhoods at pace and make a significant contribution to Bristol’s urgent need for housing.”
At Locking Parklands, Abri will own and manage 114 affordable homes within Vistry’s 229-home development. The homes will be delivered alongside the first phase of the high street, which includes 12 commercial spaces, as part of the wider masterplan for around 2,000 homes, subject to planning permission, on the former RAF Locking site.
At Manor Farm in Templecombe, Abri will own and manage 70 affordable homes within a new 140-home mixed-tenure development. The 26-acre scheme will include a range of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes, alongside public open space, landscaping, biodiversity enhancements and associated infrastructure.
While the immediate focus is on site-specific delivery, the scale of these three partnerships suggests a broader trend toward regional housing associations leveraging developer capacity to overcome planning and funding hurdles. If the current pace of approvals continues, this model could become a standard template for unlocking stalled sites across the UK.