The development will deliver 220 new homes, comprising one to four-bedroom houses and apartments, in a highly sustainable location near to the town centre and railway station. The scheme will include 40% affordable dwellings including four wheelchair accessible units for Treloar College. A new community hub providing a flexible multi use space will be built at the heart of the scheme for new and existing local residents. The development also includes the conversion and refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Culverton House, a 70-bed care home and 58-bed extra care facility.
The River Wey will be opened up and ecologically enhanced alongside a landscaped pedestrian and cycle path, linking from the town centre to Kings Pond and the train station. New landscaping, including the planting of 180 trees and areas of play will make this an attractive space for the wider community. As well as using the existing access from Lower Turk Street, a pedestrian and vehicle access point will be created off Draymans Way along with a new pedestrian crossing.
The project will see the successful regeneration of the former Brewery, opening the site up to the public for the first time in over 100 years, and will create new jobs through the care home and community uses.
John Richards, Land and Planning Director at Cala Homes Thames, said: “We are delighted that Members of EHDC’s Planning Committee voted unanimously to support our proposed development at the former Molson Coors Brewery in Alton. This mixed-use development will play an important role in delivering much-needed new homes in the area, as well as providing affordable housing to address local need and all-important care facilities, as well as financial contributions via the section 106 agreement. The development will be an exemplar for Alton and will regenerate and rejuvenate this long neglected part of the town centre.
“This decision represents the culmination of close engagement with local residents, Councillors, the Town Council and EHDC to deliver a scheme that Members felt able to unanimously support. This engagement will continue throughout the demolition and construction phases and only represents the start of Cala’s relationship with Alton.
“We expect construction work to start on the site in early 2021, with a view to launching the development in spring 2022.”
The new development is well-located in the centre of this thriving market town, which provides a range of amenities including popular local pubs, well-known supermarkets, sports clubs and centres as well as a wide range of independent retailers and restaurants.
Ideal for commuters, Alton mainline train station is just 0.3 miles away, with direct trains to London Waterloo is just over an hour, as well as convenient road links via the M3, A3 and A31, with access to Winchester and Guildford in 30 minutes.
There are also a number of Ofsted rated good schools in the immediate area, including Alton Infant and Anstey Junior Schools, and Amery Hill School for secondary education.
For more information on Cala Homes, please visit www.cala.co.uk
