WORK is underway at a new housing development in the heart of the Cotswolds.

Housing association Bromford has started work on its latest development of 100 new homes in the picturesque village of Winchcombe.

The construction of a new road through the estate is being carried out, and groundwork preparation for the buildings is ready to be started on the first of the homes.

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The homes will range in size from one-bedroom flats to five-bedroom houses, some of which will have dedicated home office space to support people who work from home.

A new play area is being created as part of the Merret Place development, along with a new pedestrian and cycle link to nearby Mercia Road.

Project manager Charlotte Conolly, said: "It's exciting to see work starting at our latest development here in Winchcombe.

"We believe there is nothing more important to people than their home, but with a housing crisis in the country, there are many families who are unable to find a place to live that meets their needs.

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"By offering a mix of homes to rent and buy, our development at Merret Place offers something for everyone, and we look forward to welcoming the first customers into their new homes next year."

The £30m development is being completed with more than £900,000 being sourced from Bromford's Homes England strategic partnership funding, which is helping to finance 10 of the 36 social rent homes being built on site.

Bromford's head of construction, Simon Kershaw, added: "We've been looking forward to starting work on what will be our biggest development to date ever since we received planning permission from Tewkesbury Borough Council earlier this year.

"Working with our established team of local contractors, we're delighted to build these new, high-quality homes on this incredible site with its amazing views over the Cotswolds."

Fifty new homes will be available to buy, with a further 14 available to part-own part-buy through Bromford's shared ownership scheme.

The first homes will go on sale later this month.

Bromford's director of sales and marketing, Cath Jarrett, said: "Winchcombe is a fantastic area with an intriguing mix of history and community with many lovely rural walks on its doorstep.

"All of the homes will be built to a high specification, and we expect them to be incredibly popular. Therefore, we would highly recommend any who is interested to get in touch right away to avoid missing out on a great home."