Churchill Retirement Living has unveiled £30 million plans to regenerate a former gasworks site in the heart of Christchurch with around 170 new homes.

It describes the plans – a mixture of retirement living, open market homes suitable for first time buyers and affordable housing – as “one of our most ambitious and exciting redevelopment projects to date”.

Since acquiring the site on Bridge Street, the Ringwood-based developer has been working closely with adjoining landowners and BCP Council to develop its plans as part of the emerging BCP Local Plan.

Churchill says its vision is to deliver a sustainable new development, meeting the needs of all demographics and providing affordable housing, open market homes and retirement housing in one well-connected location.

In line with the emerging BCP Local Plan objectives, the company says it will also support BCP Council’s strategy to build new homes on brownfield land, reducing pressure on the green belt.

Churchill will continue to work with BCP Council in developing plans for the site.

As well as meeting the urgent demand for new housing in Christchurch, the company says its plans will make a positive contribution to the local high street, generating around £1.7 million per year of extra spending in the town and creating around 30 permanent jobs locally.

In addition, over 360 jobs will be directly supported during the construction phase, both on site and through the wider supply chain.

Spencer J McCarthy, Churchill’s Chairman & CEO, pictured left, said: “This is a very different approach for Churchill and one of our most ambitious and exciting redevelopment projects to date.

“By delivering a mix of different housing types we are looking to transform the old gasworks site into an attractive new community for people of all ages, which in turn will create hundreds of new jobs, boost the local economy and support the local high street.

“We will also be investing hundreds of thousands of pounds in site clean-up and remediation of the old gasworks, as well as local infrastructure improvement and measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of the site.

“We will continue to work closely with BCP Council and other key stakeholders to develop our plans, and we look forward to making our vision a reality over the coming years.”

Cllr Nigel Brooks, BCP Council Cabinet & Member for Christchurch Regeneration, pictured right, added: “The completion of the acquisition of the former gasworks site by Churchill is a key step forward to see this important redundant town centre site redeveloped for much-needed housing.

“When taken together with the former Christchurch Civic Offices site next door, the whole area has an exceptional opportunity to create a desirable and vibrant ‘Quarter’ to this part of historic Christchurch.”

Churchill has more than 170 developments throughout the country including Priory Lodge development in Christchurch which sold out in 2017.

The company says that a typical Churchill retirement development results in 90 moves further down the housing chain.

For every three older people moving into a retirement property two first time buyer homes are freed up down the chain, helping reduce pressure to release more green belt land for housing.