Bellway to Pay £1m as Part of £10m Infrastructure Commitment in Maidstone

Bellway Kent will pay more than £1 million to Maidstone Borough Council as part of a £10 million commitment to support infrastructure in the area.

This final payment linked to Bellway’s development at Bicknor Wood in Otham will take the total contributions for the site to more than £6.3m. It marks the 230^th occupation of homes there, off Gore Court Road.

Bellway is also progressing construction work at its latest development in Church Road, Otham, which will be known as Parsonage Place. Almost £4 million in infrastructure payments will be made over the course of the development, taking the total figure to in excess of £10m across the two housing sites.

Chris Moore, Managing Director of Bellway Kent, said: “Bellway has successfully delivered new communities in Maidstone borough and will continue to do so in the coming years.

“We have now completed the last of the 250 homes at Bicknor Wood, having started work in 2018. Parsonage Place will bring another 421 high-quality homes to Otham.

“These developments exemplify how new homes can bring far wider benefits to communities. Our planning agreements ensure funding is in place to support the borough as new residents move in, enabling schools and other vital services to increase capacity.

“Beyond this, these two developments alone will lead to major junction improvements for key routes around Maidstone, including the M20.

“Add to this the employment opportunities provided by Bellway to staff and contractors – and the extra money new residents will spend within the local economy – and we begin to build a picture of the positive impact of sustainable developments.”

Bellway paid more than £2.5 million to the local authority before starting work at Bicknor Wood and a further £1.5 million when the first homes were occupied. This was allocated for services including public transport, community learning, highways, libraries, healthcare, open spaces, primary and secondary education, public rights of way, social care, and youth services.

A payment of £1m which followed the 125^th occupation, plus the money still to be paid, will fund improvements to junction 7 of the M20.

Bellway will pay almost £2.8 million to Maidstone Borough Council under the Community Infrastructure Levy under the terms of its planning agreement for Parsonage Place. Local authorities can choose how to allocate this funding to meet the most pressing needs of the community. In addition, more than £1 million will go towards primary education and £100,000 will help to fund cycle routes.

With work now underway at Parsonage Place, Bellway is building a new car park for St Nicholas Church in Church Road.

For more information on Parsonage Place see https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/kent/parsonage-place.