Legal & General homes has announced that it has acquired a 78-acre site in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire. With outline planning for 515 new homes, it represents the third major site being developed by Legal & General’s housebuilding arm, Legal & General Homes. The acquisition of the latest site will bring its total housing pipeline to over 3,000 new homes.

Construction for the first phase of new homes is due to start at the end of next year. The site is large enough to provide a full range of housing options, from one-bed apartments to four-bed detached family homes.

180 of the homes will be much-needed affordable housing and Legal & General will look to use modular construction from its factory in Leeds for this element of the site. By using traditional building techniques alongside modular construction, the team will be able to accelerate delivery on the ground.

Shrivenham is located in a prime residential location in Oxfordshire, within commuter distance from both Oxford and Swindon. It is also just a short walk from the sought-after village centre, which boasts a host of local amenities including a primary school and a range of local shops and pubs.

Helping to address the UK’s chronic housing shortage, Legal & General Homes already has two large consented schemes, which are located in Berkshire where its head office is based. It is now on site building 1,000 new homes on its 250 acre site in Crowthorne and will also begin on site on 1,500 new homes at its 272 acre site in Finchampstead (near Arborfield) at the end of 2017.

James Lidgate, CEO of Legal & General Homes, commented: “As well as addressing the chronic shortfall of housing in the UK, Legal & General Homes is looking to regenerate the UK’s landscape for the better and build vibrant communities where people want to live, such as this sought after location in Oxfordshire. Using Legal & General’s long term capital, we are seeking to create a legacy that we are proud of. To do this, we want to challenge public perceptions of new homes by delivering a product that surpasses buildings of the past in terms of quality, efficiency and comfort, while ensuring the homes are carefully integrated into the community, providing much enhanced public realm, facilities and infrastructure.”

Establishing housing capabilities across all tenures, Legal & General is delivering Build to Sell housing alongside Build to Rent, later living, student accommodation and affordable housing. It is also revolutionising construction methods through its modular factory in Leeds. Legal & General has been involved in housing activities for nearly 20 years. It is committed to addressing the UK’s chronic housing shortage through delivering high-quality sustainable and enduring homes with plans in place to build more than 80,000 new homes over the next five to ten years.