Work to build the first homes as part of the One Horton Heath scheme is underway, in what is projected to cost £504million.

Leader of Eastleigh Borough Council, Cllr Keith House, joined the council’s housebuilding division, eastbrooke homes, and contractor, Wates, to lay the foundation stone for the development’s first homes.

The scheme has 381 properties under construction on the Lower Acre site, with more that 2,500 homes planned in total, with a third of the site set to be a dedicated to green space, making in the UK's largest council-led housing project.

The council first approved plans for One Horton Heath in 2017 – initially for the build of 1,800 homes at a cost of £142million – which has since increased to 2,500 homes, at a projected cost of £504million.

In a statement, the leader of Eastleigh Borough Council said: “We are proud to be building the first homes of all tenures, including homes for sale, rented accommodation, shared ownership and affordable housing, and the council partnering with Wates is the key driver for the first few homes built and occupied, and hopefully part of a long partnership.”

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The council leader’s comments come after residents said they felt they were “steamrollered” over concerns of traffic from the One Horton Heath development, at a planning committee meeting last month.

The meeting saw residents outline concerns that Fir Tree Lane in Horton Heath would become a “rat run” due to the number of increased vehicles in the road following the construction of the site.

Lee Bushell, managing director at Wates Residential, added: “We’d like to thank the whole team for their hard work, commitment, and collaboration to get to this point.

“The project represents a significant milestone in bringing much-needed housing to the Eastleigh area, which is not only affordable, sustainable, and energy-efficient, but also what people want.

“It’s not just about construction, it’s also about the new jobs this project brings, and recruiting locally is high on our agenda.

“We are really proud of this community-focused project and can’t wait for the new families and residents to move in.”