Two housebuilders have partnered to deliver the 760 new homes at Bridport's Vearse Farm.

Vistry Partnerships, part of the Vistry Group, and leading housebuilder, Barratt Developments Plc, will lead the development, which they say will include more than 120 affordable homes and large areas of public open space, an orchard and allotments.

The new development will offer a range of homes, including apartments and two, three, four and five-bedroom homes, as well as a new primary school, local retail centre, employment land, a care home and cycle routes and paths.

Vistry Partnerships and Barratt Developments also say the development will provide "significant investment into the local economy, supporting over 2,000 jobs in Bridport and beyond".

Stephen Teagle, CEO Vistry Partnerships, said: "I'm delighted we've formed this partnership with another leading housebuilder in Barratt Developments.

"As our proposals progress, we will be engaging stakeholders ahead of submitting a detailed planning application this summer.

"By working together and pooling our resources we can accelerate the number of new homes across all tenures and deliver important community infrastructure that will leave a positive and lasting legacy for the community as a whole."

The partnership has exchanged contracts to acquire and develop the site and bring forward the open market and affordable homes, associated infrastructure and all Section 106 obligations as part of the outline planning consent for the land at Vearse Farm.

Of the new homes, 515 will be delivered by Barrett Developments under both the Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands. Vistry Partnerships will deliver the remaining 245 homes, selling their open market homes under the Bovis Homes brand.

Philip Barnes, group land and planning director at Barratt Developments, said: "We're proud to be working with our partners at Vistry to bring forward a vibrant new community for Bridport, delivering much-needed new homes and supporting local jobs, businesses and the Dorset economy.

"As well as a wide range of new homes, the development will include substantial open space from recreational areas to allotments, footpaths and cycleways celebrating and protecting nature and the environment and supporting health and wellbeing."

The development at Vearse Farm has always been controversial, with many campaigning against the delivering of almost 800 homes on land subject to flooding.

After the application submitted by Hallam Land Management was granted outline planning permission in May 2019, campaigners against the development, ADVEARSE, challenged the decision and a review into Dorset Council's planning approval was held last year.

The main focus was that the development lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a hearing took place, but the group lost the judicial review. The land was subsequently put up for sale.

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