A Bournemouth-based company is to work in partnership with Crawley Borough Council on a scheme to deliver more than 300 new affordable homes.

The pioneering scheme is part of a £100m town centre regeneration project.

It has been described by Crawley Borough Council as a first for the area due to the provision of a later living shared ownership scheme.

Affordable Housing and Healthcare Group (AHH) is a social infrastructure group that invests in the creation and long-term holding of shared ownership housing.

The company has created a family of affordable retirement living communities around the UK, as well as building, owning and operating care homes.

Platinum Skies, which is part of AHH, has three retirement living sites, Vista, Esprit, and Monterey based locally in Poole and Christchurch.

There are further over-55s communities in Sherborne, Salisbury and Taunton in Somerset.

The Platinum Skies communities feature homes available to purchase using AHH’s shared ownership scheme.

Communal facilities including bistros, activity rooms, and treatment rooms, which play host to events and activities to encourage the homeowners to socialise and get together.

Encore Care Homes, which is also part of AHH, has three homes in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.

The joint partnership with Crawley Borough Council is hoped to be replicated across further local authorities, including BCP Council where AHH have already built 140 affordable homes.

The Crawley proposal will see a residential-led community providing a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom affordable apartments with communal facilities.

The new homes to be delivered by AHH would consist of shared ownership for first-time buyers, shared ownership for older persons as well as affordable rented homes.

Patrick Gough, pictured left, AHH’s Head of Community Engagement, said: “This is an exciting milestone for AHH and we are ready to fund and deliver thousands of further affordable homes across other boroughs, including our own with BCP Council.

“This investment will create more jobs and training opportunities and provide much-needed new homes when the country needs them the most.”

Cllr Sandra Buck, Cabinet member for Housing at Crawley Borough Council, said: “This potential development is very exciting for us.

“It could see much-needed affordable housing delivered while transforming a major town centre gateway site.

“Another bonus is the potential inclusion of ‘later living shared ownership’ on the site, which would be a first for the area.”

A planning application is expected to be submitted later this year.